Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changwon and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,538 in Changwon, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Changwon
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Changwon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Changwon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,538

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changwon and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Changwon and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,538 in Changwon versus $918 in Cebu.

Changwon $1,538
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Changwon versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Changwon $2,371
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,204 in Changwon versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Changwon $3,204
Cebu $1,900

Living in Changwon is roughly 68% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changwon is 14% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.54 ₩10.0K

$3.09 ₱194

144.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.15 ₩37.4K

$24.22 ₱1,525

16.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.24 ₩6,968

$3.92 ₱247

33.67%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₩4,923

$2.51 ₱158

47.41%

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

$1.79 ₩2,383

$1.59 ₱100

12.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 ₩1,338

$0.53 ₱33.43

90.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 ₩4,023

$1.78 ₱112

70.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 ₩5,563

$2.17 ₱137

92.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩2,983

$1.92 ₱121

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 ₩4,254

$1.36 ₱85.4

135.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 ₩4,257

$1.01 ₱63.5

216.83%

Eggs

$2.61 ₩3,476

$2.03 ₱128

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 ₩14.4K

$9.86 ₱621

9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 ₩14.1K

$4.39 ₱277

142.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.43 ₩32.5K

$7.60 ₱479

221.45%

Apples (1kg)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$3.30 ₱208

236.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.62 ₩4,807

$1.39 ₱87.8

160.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$2.33 ₱147

244.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 ₩7,991

$1.50 ₱94.3

300.67%

Potato (1kg)

$5.82 ₩7,745

$2.36 ₱149

146.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 ₩4,358

$1.90 ₱119

72.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 ₩3,746

$1.19 ₱74.9

136.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,771

$0.63 ₱39.71

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ₩4,508

$3.00 ₱189

13.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ₩25.0K

$6.03 ₱379

211.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₩3,114

$1.23 ₱77.7

90.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,451

$1.75 ₱110

91.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ₩1,300

$0.25 ₱15.86

292.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ₩3,874

$0.77 ₱48.62

277.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ₩1,031

$0.23 ₱14.53

239.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.59 ₩22.1K

$4.46 ₱281

271.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,806

$1.31 ₱82.8

3.82%

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

$29.3K ₩39.0M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

37.90%

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

$33.1K ₩44.0M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

72.73%

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

$199 ₩264.0K

$120 ₱7,569

65.13%

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

$36.37 ₩48.4K

$14.00 ₱882

159.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.52 ₩35.3K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-3.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ₩69.8K

$32.33 ₱2,035

62.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.48 ₩16.6K

$6.65 ₱419

87.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 ₩14.6K

$5.65 ₱356

94.51%

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

$629 ₩836.2K

$275 ₱17.3K

128.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.2M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

176.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 ₩140.8K

$49.33 ₱3,106

114.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 ₩85.6K

$25.24 ₱1,589

154.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 ₩123.4K

$77.0 ₱4,846

20.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.7K

$57.2 ₱3,601

121.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₩722.4K

$500 ₱31.5K

8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 ₩502.1K

$309 ₱19.4K

22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ₩1.6M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 ₩1.0M

$615 ₱38.7K

22.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,598 ₩10.1M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

163.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,197 ₩8.2M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

223.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,705 ₩2.3M

$346 ₱21.8K

392.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

7.2

-41.39%

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

Last update for Changwon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changwon

$483 31.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 57.4% $277

Accommodation & Living

Changwon

$378 24.6%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 18.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changwon

$261 17%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 38.1% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Changwon

$175 11.4%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 46.5% $82

Eating Out

Changwon

$155 10.1%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 43.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Changwon

$74 4.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 41.4% $31

Getting Around

Changwon

$11 * 0.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 45.5% $4.9

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 $543 in Changwon and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changwon pays 393% 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: $28.00 in Changwon vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Changwon

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

09:32 9:32 AM

1 h behind Changwon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,055,839

964,169

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

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).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Changwon Cebu 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Changwon
Cebu

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

Changwon vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 393% higher in Changwon, 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: $543 in Changwon versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Changwon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,538 per month in Changwon versus $918 in Cebu – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,538 in Changwon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Changwon. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Changwon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Changwon and Cebu 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Changwon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.