Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Songkhla

For one person, living is cheaper in Songkhla: $830 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Songkhla
Learn more

Songkhla Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Songkhla

🇹🇭 Thailand

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Songkhla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $830 in Songkhla.

Cebu $918
Songkhla $830

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,335 in Songkhla.

Cebu $1,409
Songkhla $1,335

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,839 in Songkhla.

Cebu $1,900
Songkhla $1,839

Living in Cebu is roughly 11% more expensive than in Songkhla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Songkhla 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$1.76 ฿58.9

75.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$21.83 ฿730

10.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$4.68 ฿156

-16.24%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.59 ฿53.1

57.86%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$0.72 ฿24.04

120.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$0.23 ฿7.64

130.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.81 ฿60.4

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$4.71 ฿157

-53.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.66 ฿55.5

15.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$0.92 ฿30.78

47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$1.66 ฿55.4

-39.16%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.42 ฿47.58

42.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$16.51 ฿552

-40.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$2.71 ฿90.7

61.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.20 ฿341

-25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.98 ฿99.5

10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.75 ฿58.6

-20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.24 ฿74.7

4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.26 ฿42.09

19.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.41 ฿47.16

67.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.76 ฿58.9

7.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.08 ฿36.02

10.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$0.89 ฿29.80

-29.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$4.27 ฿143

-29.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$13.49 ฿451

-55.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.47 ฿49.06

-16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$4.55 ฿152

-61.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$0.85 ฿28.43

-70.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$59.7 ฿1,994

-78.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$1.24 ฿41.36

-37.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$0.82 ฿27.46

-71.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$4.80 ฿160

-7.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.24 ฿41.33

5.65%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$25.9K ฿867.1K

-18.12%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$31.6K ฿1.1M

-39.39%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$85.8 ฿2,866

40.21%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$12.49 ฿417

12.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$17.69 ฿591

55.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$48.41 ฿1,618

-33.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$14.10 ฿471

-52.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$6.02 ฿201

-6.15%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$561 ฿18.7K

-50.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$10.7K ฿356.4K

-25.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$50.6 ฿1,689

-2.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$28.97 ฿968

-12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$77.1 ฿2,577

-0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$75.4 ฿2,518

-24.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$236 ฿7,880

111.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$173 ฿5,782

78.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$568 ฿19.0K

89.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$423 ฿14.1K

45.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$1,943 ฿64.9K

48.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,605 ฿53.7K

19.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$806 ฿26.9K

-57.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

9.33

-22.83%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Songkhla: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Songkhla

$173 20.8% 44% $136

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Songkhla

$239 28.8% 15.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Songkhla

$116 14% 28.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Songkhla

$104 12.6% 11.1% $10

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Songkhla

$69 8.4% 21.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Songkhla

$60 7.3% 38.6% $17

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Songkhla

$68 8.2% 339% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $236 in Songkhla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Songkhla pays 133% 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 $22.00 in Songkhla. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $239, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Songkhla

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

61,758

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Songkhla 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Songkhla

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 Songkhla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Songkhla is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Songkhla. 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: $500 in Cebu versus $236 in Songkhla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $830 in Songkhla – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Songkhla runs roughly 372% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Songkhla 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 Songkhla 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 Songkhla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.