Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Pyongyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $426 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Pyongyang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $426 in Pyongyang.

Cebu $934
Pyongyang $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $696 in Pyongyang.

Cebu $1,415
Pyongyang $696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $965 in Pyongyang.

Cebu $1,896
Pyongyang $965

Living in Cebu is roughly 119% more expensive than in Pyongyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Pyongyang 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱191

$4.93 $4.93

-38.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,476

$36.47 $36.47

-35.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱257

$21.96 $21.96

-81.38%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$1.13 $1.13

123.01%

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

$1.54 ₱97.2

$2.19 $2.19

-29.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱31.06

$1.28 $1.28

-61.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱113

$13.69 $13.69

-86.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$4.83 $4.83

-53.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$0.92 $0.92

111.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.9

$2.37 $2.37

-39.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱64.0

$0.91 $0.91

12.09%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$2.08 $2.08

-0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$121 ₱7,583

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

$14.45 ₱909

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

$75.9 $75.9

-56.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

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

$273 ₱17.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.8K

$91.0 $91.0

455.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$89.7 $89.7

244.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.9K

$135 $135

359.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.5K

$250 $250

36.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Pyongyang

$90 21.3% 71% $220

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7% 78.7% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Pyongyang

$211 50% 139% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Pyongyang

$76 * 18% 74% $32

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Pyongyang

- * 0% 100%

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 $506 in Cebu and $91.0 in Pyongyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $36.00 in Pyongyang. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $45.00, with Pyongyang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

11:46 11:46 AM

1 h ahead of Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

3,255,288 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Pyongyang 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Pyongyang

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 Pyongyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pyongyang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and utilities. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $91.0 in Pyongyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 369% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $23.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Pyongyang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Pyongyang 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 Pyongyang 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 Pyongyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.