Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Surin

For one person, living is cheaper in Surin: $869 a month against $915 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $550 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Surin
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Surin Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Surin

🇹🇭 Thailand

$869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Surin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $869 in Surin.

Cebu $915
Surin $869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $1,444 in Surin.

Cebu $1,418
Surin $1,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $2,018 in Surin.

Cebu $1,921
Surin $2,018

Living in Cebu is roughly 5% more expensive than in Surin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 33% lower, Surin 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$3.03 ฿101

0.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$24.70 ฿826

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$7.23 ฿242

-44.81%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$1.74 ฿58.3

43.68%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$0.61 ฿20.30

152.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$0.33 ฿10.89

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$2.20 ฿73.5

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$3.42 ฿114

-36.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.57 ฿52.4

27.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$1.31 ฿43.79

4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$1.47 ฿48.98

-29.93%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.90 ฿63.5

6.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$17.41 ฿582

-41.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$2.48 ฿83.0

79.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$8.89 ฿297

-13.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.57 ฿86.0

28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$1.02 ฿34.23

43.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$2.48 ฿82.9

-6.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$2.05 ฿68.5

-27.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.44 ฿48.20

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$0.95 ฿31.77

104.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$0.94 ฿31.37

23.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$0.44 ฿14.59

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$4.27 ฿143

-29.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$16.36 ฿547

-61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.57 ฿52.4

-21.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$3.01 ฿100

-42.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$0.92 ฿30.79

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$1.37 ฿45.65

-42.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$1.01 ฿33.73

-78.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$6.04 ฿202

-24.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.35 ฿45.06

-2.22%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$22.7K ฿758.4K

-7.44%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$27.1K ฿904.4K

-28.30%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$77.8 ฿2,601

52.34%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$11.53 ฿385

23.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$18.68 ฿624

47.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$41.58 ฿1,390

-22.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$11.45 ฿383

-43.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$6.51 ฿218

-17.05%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$628 ฿21.0K

-56.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$12.1K ฿405.0K

-35.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$53.1 ฿1,773

-6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$27.95 ฿934

-12.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$73.3 ฿2,451

4.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$68.0 ฿2,274

-13.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$440 ฿14.7K

14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$273 ฿9,126

11.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$1,185 ฿39.6K

-9.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$714 ฿23.9K

-11.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$1,730 ฿57.8K

65.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$1,518 ฿50.7K

23.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

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 Surin: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Surin

$273 31.4% 10.3% $31

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Surin

$235 27% 11.9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Surin

$108 12.4% 32.6% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Surin

$100 11.5% 6.2% $5.8

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Surin

$88 10.2% 0.8% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Surin

$55 6.3% 26.7% $12

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Surin

$10 * 1.2% 33.3% $5.1

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 $440 in Surin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $25.00 in Surin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $235 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇭 Surin

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

05:17 5:17 AM

1 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

40,104

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Surin 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Surin

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 Surin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surin is cheaper overall, especially in utilities and transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $1,303 in Surin 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 $440 in Surin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 12% 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 $869 in Surin – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Surin 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 Surin 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 Surin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.