Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chanthaburi and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $965 in Chanthaburi, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. The total is higher in Chanthaburi despite lower rent and utilities.

47

Cost of Living Index in Chanthaburi
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Chanthaburi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Chanthaburi

🇹🇭 Thailand

$965

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chanthaburi 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 Chanthaburi and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $965 in Chanthaburi versus $918 in Cebu.

Chanthaburi $965
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,594 in Chanthaburi versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Chanthaburi $1,594
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,224 in Chanthaburi versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Chanthaburi $2,224
Cebu $1,900

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Chanthaburi 29% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.18 ฿39.32

$3.09 ₱194

-61.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.45 ฿1,185

$24.22 ₱1,525

46.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 ฿239

$3.92 ₱247

82.40%

Cappuccino

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.51 ₱158

-39.44%

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

$0.52 ฿17.25

$1.59 ₱100

-67.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ฿9.60

$0.53 ₱33.43

-45.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 ฿55.8

$1.78 ₱112

-6.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ฿147

$2.17 ₱137

102.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ฿51.0

$1.92 ₱121

-20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.97

$1.36 ₱85.4

8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ฿29.09

$1.01 ₱63.5

-13.86%

Eggs

$2.05 ฿68.7

$2.03 ₱128

0.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.05 ฿570

$9.86 ₱621

72.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 ฿123

$4.39 ₱277

-15.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 ฿437

$7.60 ₱479

72.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 ฿131

$3.30 ₱208

18.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 ฿60.1

$1.39 ₱87.8

29.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ฿93.9

$2.33 ₱147

20.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 ฿63.3

$1.50 ₱94.3

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ฿39.14

$2.36 ₱149

-50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.2

$1.90 ₱119

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ฿41.41

$1.19 ₱74.9

4.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿18.21

$0.63 ₱39.71

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿150

$3.00 ₱189

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 ฿493

$6.03 ₱379

144.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ฿57.1

$1.23 ₱77.7

39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 ฿110

$1.75 ₱110

88.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 ฿29.23

$0.25 ₱15.86

248.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 ฿2,964

$12.64 ₱796

601.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 ฿33.74

$0.77 ₱48.62

31.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.26

$0.23 ₱14.53

360.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 ฿196

$4.46 ₱281

31.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ฿40.01

$1.31 ₱82.8

-8.40%

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

$31.1K ฿1.0M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

46.17%

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

$23.3K ฿779.2K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

21.77%

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

$106 ฿3,547

$120 ₱7,569

-11.74%

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

$3.58 ฿120

$14.00 ₱882

-74.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.22 ฿342

$27.54 ₱1,734

-62.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.50 ฿1,554

$32.33 ₱2,035

43.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.30 ฿478

$6.65 ₱419

115.04%

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 ฿177

$5.65 ₱356

-6.19%

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

$578 ฿19.3K

$275 ₱17.3K

109.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ฿555.3K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

109.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.38 ฿247

$49.33 ₱3,106

-85.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.89 ฿1,199

$25.24 ₱1,589

42.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 ฿2,260

$77.0 ₱4,846

-12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$20.82 ฿696

$57.2 ₱3,601

-63.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ฿14.7K

$500 ₱31.5K

-11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ฿9,906

$309 ₱19.4K

-4.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 ฿45.7K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

26.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 ฿24.3K

$615 ₱38.7K

18.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

-33.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 ฿51.9K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-19.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

7.2

-27.08%

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

Last update for Chanthaburi: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chanthaburi

$296 30.7%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 4.2% $12

Groceries & Markets

Chanthaburi

$264 27.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 22.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chanthaburi

$120 12.4%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 34.9% $42

Getting Around

Chanthaburi

$98 10.2%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 84.2% $83

Eating Out

Chanthaburi

$69 7.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 27.1% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Chanthaburi

$59 6.1%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 58.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chanthaburi

$57 5.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 23.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Chanthaburi and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Chanthaburi vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chanthaburi

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

01:39 1:39 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

1 h ahead of Chanthaburi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,602

964,169

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chanthaburi Cebu 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chanthaburi
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

Chanthaburi vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,447 in Chanthaburi and $1,377 in Cebu 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: $440 in Chanthaburi versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $965 per month in Chanthaburi versus $918 in Cebu – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 602% less than in Chanthaburi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $965 in Chanthaburi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Chanthaburi. 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 Chanthaburi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chanthaburi 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 5% less than in Chanthaburi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.