Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Nakhon Sawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,031 in Nakhon Sawan, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Nakhon Sawan despite lower rent and utilities.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Nakhon Sawan
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,031
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Nakhon Sawan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Nakhon Sawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,031 in Nakhon Sawan.

  • Cebu $918
  • Nakhon Sawan $1,031

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,661 in Nakhon Sawan.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Nakhon Sawan $1,661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,291 in Nakhon Sawan.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Nakhon Sawan $2,291

Living in Cebu costs roughly 11% less than in Nakhon Sawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Nakhon Sawan 24% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$3.03 ฿101
1.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$36.28 ฿1,212
-33.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$5.86 ฿196
-33.11%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$2.69 ฿89.9
-6.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$0.63 ฿20.94
152.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$0.37 ฿12.22
43.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$2.73 ฿91.1
-34.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$4.37 ฿146
-50.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.88 ฿62.7
2.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$1.46 ฿48.88
-6.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$1.41 ฿47.22
-28.37%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$1.65 ฿55.1
23.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$17.32 ฿579
-43.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$3.52 ฿118
24.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$13.07 ฿437
-41.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$3.80 ฿127
-13.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$0.76 ฿25.53
82.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$2.82 ฿94.1
-17.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$1.89 ฿63.3
-20.63%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$1.21 ฿40.33
95.04%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.18 ฿39.34
61.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$0.84 ฿28.19
41.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$0.48 ฿15.98
31.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$2.73 ฿91.2
9.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$15.14 ฿506
-60.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.60 ฿53.5
-23.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$3.31 ฿111
-47.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$0.83 ฿27.74
-69.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$1.05 ฿35.19
-26.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$1.17 ฿39.08
-80.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$5.94 ฿198
-24.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.33 ฿44.36
-1.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$31.2K ฿1.0M
-31.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$27.3K ฿911.5K
-29.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$106 ฿3,554
13.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$12.70 ฿425
10.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$17.49 ฿585
57.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$47.12 ฿1,575
-31.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$14.75 ฿493
-54.92%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$7.47 ฿250
-24.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$568 ฿19.0K
-51.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$16.6K ฿554.8K
-52.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$71.2 ฿2,381
-30.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$42.42 ฿1,418
-40.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$95.7 ฿3,198
-19.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$107 ฿3,568
-46.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$500 ฿16.7K
-0.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$321 ฿10.7K
-3.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$1,295 ฿43.3K
-16.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$699 ฿23.4K
-11.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$1,939 ฿64.8K
48.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$1,702 ฿56.9K
12.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Nakhon Sawan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$471 ฿15.7K
-26.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
5.25
37.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Sawan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Nakhon Sawan
$321 3.9% $12
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Nakhon Sawan
$259 25.7% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Nakhon Sawan
$137 15.6% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Nakhon Sawan
$142 51.5% $48
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Nakhon Sawan
$100 13.8% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Nakhon Sawan
$62 42.3% $18
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Nakhon Sawan
$10 * 34.4% $5.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $500 in Nakhon Sawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nakhon Sawan pays 36% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $36.00 in Nakhon Sawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $259 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇹🇭 Nakhon Sawan
🕒 Local time
11:43 11:43 AM
10:43 10:43 AM
1 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
82,305
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Nakhon Sawan 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Nakhon Sawan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Cebu vs Nakhon Sawan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nakhon Sawan cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Nakhon Sawan?
On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Nakhon Sawan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Nakhon Sawan?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $500 in Nakhon Sawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Cebu and in Nakhon Sawan?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Nakhon Sawan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Nakhon Sawan?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,031 in Nakhon Sawan – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Nakhon Sawan?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,031 in Nakhon Sawan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Nakhon Sawan. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Nakhon Sawan more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Nakhon Sawan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Nakhon Sawan?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Nakhon Sawan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Nakhon Sawan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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