Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,398 in Cheongju, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,398

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,398 in Cheongju versus $918 in Cebu.

Cheongju $1,398
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,320 in Cheongju versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Cheongju $2,320
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Cheongju versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Cheongju $3,241
Cebu $1,900

Living in Cheongju is roughly 52% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheongju is 4% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 ₩10.2K

$3.09 ₱194

147.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.79 ₩64.9K

$24.22 ₱1,525

101.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 ₩8,153

$3.92 ₱247

56.38%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,851

$2.51 ₱158

45.42%

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

$1.78 ₩2,361

$1.59 ₱100

11.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₩1,873

$0.53 ₱33.43

166.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 ₩5,033

$1.78 ₱112

112.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₩5,845

$2.17 ₱137

102.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₩3,128

$1.92 ₱121

22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 ₩4,129

$1.36 ₱85.4

128.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 ₩4,178

$1.01 ₱63.5

210.89%

Eggs

$2.71 ₩3,606

$2.03 ₱128

33.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 ₩14.9K

$9.86 ₱621

13.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.27 ₩13.7K

$4.39 ₱277

133.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.55 ₩32.6K

$7.60 ₱479

223.03%

Apples (1kg)

$11.41 ₩15.2K

$3.30 ₱208

245.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,727

$1.39 ₱87.8

156.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 ₩11.0K

$2.33 ₱147

256.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 ₩7,859

$1.50 ₱94.3

294.00%

Potato (1kg)

$6.14 ₩8,161

$2.36 ₱149

160.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 ₩4,336

$1.90 ₱119

71.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,637

$1.19 ₱74.9

130.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,717

$0.63 ₱39.71

104.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,413

$3.00 ₱189

10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.55 ₩24.7K

$6.03 ₱379

207.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 ₩3,287

$1.23 ₱77.7

100.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,458

$1.75 ₱110

91.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,450

$0.25 ₱15.86

336.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₩4,741

$0.77 ₱48.62

363.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₩1,017

$0.23 ₱14.53

234.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.65 ₩22.1K

$4.46 ₱281

273.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,811

$1.31 ₱82.8

3.82%

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

$29.5K ₩39.2M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.94%

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

$33.4K ₩44.4M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

74.28%

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

$203 ₩269.6K

$120 ₱7,569

68.68%

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

$24.35 ₩32.4K

$14.00 ₱882

73.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 ₩35.3K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ₩69.8K

$32.33 ₱2,035

62.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 ₩16.1K

$6.65 ₱419

81.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.10 ₩16.1K

$5.65 ₱356

114.16%

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

$624 ₩830.0K

$275 ₱17.3K

126.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.3M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

178.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.95 ₩50.5K

$49.33 ₱3,106

-23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ₩86.3K

$25.24 ₱1,589

157.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₩126.4K

$77.0 ₱4,846

23.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩150.1K

$57.2 ₱3,601

97.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₩461.0K

$500 ₱31.5K

-30.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₩354.8K

$309 ₱19.4K

-13.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ₩1.5M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

7.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₩1.0M

$615 ₱38.7K

23.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,214 ₩9.6M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

149.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,577 ₩7.4M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

191.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,595 ₩3.5M

$346 ₱21.8K

650.11%

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 Cheongju: 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

Cheongju

$485 34.7%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 57.6% $279

Accommodation & Living

Cheongju

$267 19.1%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 15.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheongju

$254 18.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 36.2% $92

Eating Out

Cheongju

$164 11.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 46.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Cheongju

$140 10%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 32.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Cheongju

$77 5.5%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 43.1% $33

Getting Around

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 32.5% $3.8

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 $347 in Cheongju and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 650% 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: $49.00 in Cheongju vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

1 h behind Cheongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

835,669

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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cheongju Cebu 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cheongju
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

Cheongju vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 650% higher in Cheongju, 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: $347 in Cheongju versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 136% higher in Cheongju. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,398 per month in Cheongju versus $918 in Cebu – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,398 in Cheongju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Cheongju. 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 Cheongju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cheongju 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 52% less than in Cheongju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.