Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Phu Quoc

For one person, living is cheaper in Phu Quoc: $730 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Phu Quoc
Learn more

Phu Quoc Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Phu Quoc

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Phu Quoc

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 Phu Quoc actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $730 in Phu Quoc.

Cebu $915
Phu Quoc $730

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,165 in Phu Quoc.

Cebu $1,418
Phu Quoc $1,165

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,600 in Phu Quoc.

Cebu $1,921
Phu Quoc $1,600

Living in Cebu is roughly 25% more expensive than in Phu Quoc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Phu Quoc 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$1.94 ₫50.3K

57.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$21.47 ₫555.9K

11.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$4.71 ₫122.0K

-15.29%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.77 ₫45.7K

41.24%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.50 ₫13.0K

208.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.30 ₫7,877

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$0.99 ₫25.7K

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$1.50 ₫38.9K

44.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.36 ₫35.2K

47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.01 ₫26.3K

35.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$0.98 ₫25.5K

5.10%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.41 ₫36.6K

43.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$11.76 ₫304.3K

-13.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$3.62 ₫93.8K

22.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$10.15 ₫262.9K

-24.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.67 ₫69.0K

23.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.05 ₫27.2K

39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$1.29 ₫33.4K

79.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.08 ₫28.1K

37.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.03 ₫26.7K

127.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.05 ₫27.2K

84.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.65 ₫16.9K

78.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.51 ₫13.2K

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$1.38 ₫35.7K

116.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$11.26 ₫291.5K

-44.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$0.74 ₫19.1K

66.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.59 ₫41.2K

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.35 ₫8,958

-34.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$6.50 ₫168.2K

89.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$0.72 ₫18.7K

9.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$0.62 ₫16.0K

-64.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$2.70 ₫69.9K

68.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$0.86 ₫22.2K

53.49%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$35.3K ₫914.1M

-40.51%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$31.6K ₫818.3M

-38.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$119 ₱7,464

$74.4 ₫1.9M

59.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.22 ₱896

$5.96 ₫154.4K

138.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$8.48 ₫219.5K

223.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$21.85 ₫565.8K

47.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$7.84 ₫202.9K

-17.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$3.05 ₫79.1K

77.05%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$276 ₱17.4K

$262 ₫6.8M

5.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$11.5K ₫297.4M

-31.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$41.39 ₫1.1M

19.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$22.91 ₫593.1K

7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$84.8 ₫2.2M

-9.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$74.4 ₫1.9M

-20.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$359 ₫9.3M

40.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$248 ₫6.4M

22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$717 ₫18.6M

49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$527 ₫13.6M

19.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$2,109 ₫54.6M

36.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,229 ₫31.8M

52.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.1

-20.88%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phu Quoc: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Phu Quoc

$248 34% 18.5% $56

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Phu Quoc

$191 26.1% 9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Phu Quoc

$89 12.2% 44.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Phu Quoc

$101 13.8% 6.7% $6.3

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Phu Quoc

$62 8.5% 29.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Phu Quoc

$28 3.8% 35.1% $15

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Phu Quoc

$12 1.6% 22.8% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $359 in Phu Quoc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $21.00 in Phu Quoc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $191 per month, with Phu Quoc cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇻🇳 Phu Quoc

🕒 Local time

04:27 4:27 AM

03:27 3:27 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

144,460

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Phu Quoc 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Phu Quoc

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 Phu Quoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phu Quoc is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $1,095 in Phu Quoc to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $359 in Phu Quoc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $730 in Phu Quoc – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phu Quoc runs roughly 90% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Phu Quoc gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Phu Quoc is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Phu Quoc are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phu Quoc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.