Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Lat and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Lat: $611 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Da Lat
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Da Lat Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Da Lat

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$611

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $611 in Da Lat versus $918 in Cebu.

Da Lat $611
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $914 in Da Lat versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Da Lat $914
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,218 in Da Lat versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Da Lat $1,218
Cebu $1,900

Living in Da Lat costs roughly 33% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Da Lat 55% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.20 ₫57.0K

$3.09 ₱195

-28.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.43 ₫399.6K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-36.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.21 ₫134.8K

$3.92 ₱247

32.91%

Cappuccino

$1.61 ₫41.6K

$2.51 ₱158

-35.86%

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

$0.59 ₫15.2K

$1.59 ₱100

-62.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₫7,960

$0.53 ₱33.45

-41.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$1.78 ₱112

-51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ₫39.4K

$2.17 ₱137

-29.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ₫39.1K

$1.92 ₱121

-21.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₫33.8K

$1.36 ₱85.5

-4.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.2K

$1.01 ₱63.6

15.84%

Eggs

$1.62 ₫42.1K

$2.03 ₱128

-20.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.80 ₫202.0K

$9.86 ₱621

-20.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 ₫103.9K

$4.39 ₱277

-8.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.55 ₫117.8K

$7.60 ₱479

-40.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 ₫106.4K

$3.30 ₱208

24.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 ₫47.4K

$1.39 ₱87.8

31.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 ₫83.1K

$2.33 ₱147

37.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₫40.0K

$1.50 ₱94.3

2.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 ₫45.5K

$2.36 ₱149

-25.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 ₫42.1K

$1.90 ₱119

-14.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ₫19.5K

$1.19 ₱74.9

-36.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₫13.5K

$0.63 ₱39.73

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 ₫43.5K

$3.00 ₱189

-44.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 ₫199.5K

$6.03 ₱380

27.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₫11.4K

$1.23 ₱77.7

-64.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₫53.5K

$1.75 ₱110

18.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₫9,514

$0.25 ₱15.87

48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 ₫15.5K

$0.77 ₱48.64

-22.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 ₫29.0K

$0.23 ₱14.54

386.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 ₫21.9K

$1.31 ₱82.8

-35.11%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

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

$39.69 ₫1.0M

$120 ₱7,573

-66.99%

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

$4.27 ₫110.6K

$14.00 ₱882

-69.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.92 ₫386.3K

$27.54 ₱1,735

-45.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.46 ₫322.6K

$32.33 ₱2,036

-61.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$1.99 ₫51.4K

$5.65 ₱356

-64.78%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₫7.3M

$500 ₱31.5K

-43.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ₫7.1M

$309 ₱19.5K

-10.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ₫16.1M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-42.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 ₫12.0M

$615 ₱38.8K

-24.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 ₫11.3M

$346 ₱21.8K

26.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Da Lat: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Lat

$276 45.2%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 11.9% $33

Groceries & Markets

Da Lat

$188 30.8%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 9.4% $18

Eating Out

Da Lat

$63 10.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 39.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Lat

$59 9.6%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 175% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Da Lat

$16 2.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 165% $27

Getting Around

Da Lat

$7.7 * 1.3%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 103% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Da Lat

- * 0%

Cebu

$94 10.2%

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 $281 in Da Lat and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Da Lat pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Da Lat vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $206 per month, with Da Lat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Lat

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

18:45 6:45 PM

1 h ahead of Da Lat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,014

964,169

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

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).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Da Lat Cebu 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Da Lat
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

Da Lat vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Da Lat is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Da Lat, 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: $281 in Da Lat versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Da Lat – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

For families, Da Lat 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, Da Lat 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 Da Lat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.