Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sakon Nakhon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sakon Nakhon: $847 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Sakon Nakhon
Learn more

Sakon Nakhon Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Sakon Nakhon

🇹🇭 Thailand

$847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $847 in Sakon Nakhon.

Cebu $915
Sakon Nakhon $847

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,403 in Sakon Nakhon.

Cebu $1,418
Sakon Nakhon $1,403

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $1,958 in Sakon Nakhon.

Cebu $1,921
Sakon Nakhon $1,958

Living in Cebu is roughly 8% more expensive than in Sakon Nakhon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Sakon Nakhon 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$1.51 ฿50.5

101.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$14.73 ฿492

62.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$2.98 ฿99.6

33.89%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.47 ฿49.00

70.07%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.68 ฿22.56

126.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.27 ฿9.11

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.15 ฿71.9

-17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$2.13 ฿71.3

1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.42 ฿80.8

-17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.33 ฿44.46

3.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.17 ฿39.16

-11.97%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.21 ฿74.0

-8.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$10.53 ฿352

-3.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$2.59 ฿86.4

71.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$10.42 ฿348

-26.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.21 ฿107

3.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.06 ฿35.28

37.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.23 ฿74.6

4.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$1.88 ฿62.9

-20.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.47 ฿49.16

59.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.45 ฿48.43

33.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.50 ฿16.72

132.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.49 ฿16.33

38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$4.24 ฿142

-29.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$17.95 ฿600

-65.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.65 ฿55.1

-25.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.90 ฿96.8

-40.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.87 ฿29.04

-73.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$1.48 ฿49.44

-46.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$1.11 ฿37.18

-80.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$6.78 ฿227

-33.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.30 ฿43.50

1.54%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$24.4K ฿814.0K

-13.76%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$24.5K ฿817.4K

-20.67%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$83.3 ฿2,783

42.33%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$9.84 ฿329

44.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$15.45 ฿516

77.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$46.81 ฿1,564

-30.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$14.17 ฿473

-54.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$3.50 ฿117

54.29%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$569 ฿19.0K

-51.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$10.5K ฿349.9K

-24.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$19.59 ฿655

152.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$6.64 ฿222

270.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$118 ฿3,960

-35.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$73.5 ฿2,455

-19.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$388 ฿13.0K

29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$286 ฿9,563

6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$1,119 ฿37.4K

-3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$768 ฿25.7K

-17.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$2,181 ฿72.9K

31.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,291 ฿43.1K

45.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$753 ฿25.2K

-55.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.57

29.26%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sakon Nakhon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$286 33.8% 6% $18

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Sakon Nakhon

$233 27.5% 11% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Sakon Nakhon

$109 12.8% 32.2% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Sakon Nakhon

$98 11.6% 4.2% $3.9

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sakon Nakhon

$57 6.8% 34.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Sakon Nakhon

$54 6.4% 24.9% $11

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Sakon Nakhon

$11 * 1.2% 30.6% $4.6

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 $503 in Cebu and $388 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sakon Nakhon pays 124% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $15.00 in Sakon Nakhon. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $233, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Sakon Nakhon

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

53,100

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, 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).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Sakon Nakhon 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sakon Nakhon

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 Sakon Nakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sakon Nakhon is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 124% lower in Sakon Nakhon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $388 in Sakon Nakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $847 in Sakon Nakhon – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon 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 Sakon Nakhon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.