Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Poipet

For one person, living is cheaper in Poipet: $514 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Poipet
Learn more

Poipet Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Poipet

🇰🇭 Cambodia

$514

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Poipet

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $514 in Poipet.

Cebu $918
Poipet $514

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $808 in Poipet.

Cebu $1,409
Poipet $808

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,102 in Poipet.

Cebu $1,900
Poipet $1,102

Living in Cebu is roughly 79% more expensive than in Poipet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Poipet 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$2.44 ៛9,901

26.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$20.36 ៛82.7K

18.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.92 ៛24.0K

-33.78%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.62 ៛6,593

54.94%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.66 ៛2,687

140.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.46 ៛1,854

15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.03 ៛4,178

72.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$1.99 ៛8,078

9.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.20 ៛8,947

-12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.69 ៛6,880

-19.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$0.95 ៛3,842

6.32%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.69 ៛6,849

20.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$15.61 ៛63.4K

-36.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.90 ៛11.8K

51.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.22 ៛41.5K

-25.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$4.19 ៛17.0K

-21.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.21 ៛4,929

14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.72 ៛15.1K

-37.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.10 ៛4,465

36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.33 ៛5,388

77.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.07 ៛4,365

77.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.37 ៛5,549

-13.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.76 ៛3,070

-17.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$1.35 ៛5,500

122.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$7.69 ៛31.2K

-21.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.04 ៛4,204

18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.23 ៛9,064

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$1.97 ៛8,012

-60.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.02 ៛4,139

-77.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$5.10 ៛20.7K

-12.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.25 ៛5,086

4.80%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$25.0K ៛101.6M

-15.10%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$22.6K ៛92.0M

-15.45%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$101 ៛410.4K

18.98%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$5.74 ៛23.3K

143.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$15.57 ៛63.2K

76.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$4.98 ៛20.2K

13.45%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$284 ៛1.2M

-3.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$4,389 ៛17.8M

80.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$26.59 ៛108.0K

85.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$13.15 ៛53.4K

91.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$68.6 ៛278.7K

12.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$44.16 ៛179.4K

29.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.2

-21.74%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Poipet: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Poipet

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Poipet

$236 45.9% 14.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Poipet

$122 23.8% 24.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Poipet

$69 13.4% 26.9% $25

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Poipet

$70 13.7% 20.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Poipet

$10 * 1.9% 77.2% $34

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Poipet

$7.1 * 1.4% 54.6% $8.5

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $20.00 in Poipet. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $236, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇭 Poipet

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

98,934

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Cambodian Riel KHR ៛

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD

10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Poipet 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Poipet

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 Poipet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Poipet is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $771 in Poipet 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.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $514 in Poipet – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Poipet gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Poipet 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 Poipet 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 Poipet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.