Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,569 in Daegu, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,569 in Daegu versus $918 in Cebu.

Daegu $1,569
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Daegu versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Daegu $2,402
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,235 in Daegu versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Daegu $3,235
Cebu $1,900

Living in Daegu is roughly 71% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Daegu is 16% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$3.09 ₱194

200.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$24.22 ₱1,525

53.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$3.92 ₱247

44.64%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$2.51 ₱158

58.17%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$1.59 ₱100

-1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$0.53 ₱33.43

69.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$1.78 ₱112

114.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$2.17 ₱137

149.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$1.92 ₱121

23.96%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$1.36 ₱85.4

230.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$1.01 ₱63.5

163.37%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$2.03 ₱128

33.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$9.86 ₱621

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$4.39 ₱277

69.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$7.60 ₱479

173.16%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$3.30 ₱208

99.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$1.39 ₱87.8

93.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$2.33 ₱147

145.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$1.50 ₱94.3

297.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$2.36 ₱149

12.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$1.90 ₱119

8.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$1.19 ₱74.9

265.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$0.63 ₱39.71

117.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$3.00 ₱189

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$6.03 ₱379

147.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$1.23 ₱77.7

73.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$1.75 ₱110

42.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$0.25 ₱15.86

344.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$12.64 ₱796

504.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$0.77 ₱48.62

307.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$0.23 ₱14.53

165.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$4.46 ₱281

79.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$1.31 ₱82.8

1.53%

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

34.19%

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

116.51%

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$120 ₱7,569

132.47%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$14.00 ₱882

260.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$27.54 ₱1,734

70.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$32.33 ₱2,035

57.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$6.65 ₱419

78.80%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$5.65 ₱356

99.29%

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

$531 ₩706.4K

$275 ₱17.3K

92.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

252.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$49.33 ₱3,106

14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$25.24 ₱1,589

99.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$77.0 ₱4,846

24.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$57.2 ₱3,601

187.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$500 ₱31.5K

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$309 ₱19.4K

-11.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-3.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$615 ₱38.7K

-1.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

146.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

190.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$346 ₱21.8K

616.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

7.2

-29.58%

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

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 50.3% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 57.1% $215

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 12.9% $35

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 50.6% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 43.1% $71

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 82.1% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 40.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Daegu and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Daegu pays 616% 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: $37.00 in Daegu vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:38 3:38 AM

02:38 2:38 AM

1 h behind Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

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

Daegu Cebu 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Daegu
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

Daegu vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 616% higher in Daegu, 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: $408 in Daegu versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,569 per month in Daegu versus $918 in Cebu – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 504% less than in Daegu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,569 in Daegu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Daegu. 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 Daegu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Daegu 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 71% less than in Daegu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.