Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daejeon and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,344 in Daejeon, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Daejeon
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Daejeon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Daejeon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,344

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,344 in Daejeon versus $918 in Cebu.

Daejeon $1,344
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,104 in Daejeon versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Daejeon $2,104
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,865 in Daejeon versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Daejeon $2,865
Cebu $1,900

Living in Daejeon is roughly 46% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Daejeon is 0% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 ₩9,678

$3.09 ₱194

135.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.77 ₩48.9K

$24.22 ₱1,525

51.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 ₩7,412

$3.92 ₱247

42.09%

Cappuccino

$3.60 ₩4,784

$2.51 ₱158

43.43%

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

$1.22 ₩1,622

$1.59 ₱100

-23.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₩859

$0.53 ₱33.43

22.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,659

$1.78 ₱112

96.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 ₩4,917

$2.17 ₱137

70.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ₩2,900

$1.92 ₱121

13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 ₩3,542

$1.36 ₱85.4

95.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 ₩3,514

$1.01 ₱63.5

161.39%

Eggs

$2.55 ₩3,385

$2.03 ₱128

25.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 ₩14.5K

$9.86 ₱621

10.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 ₩11.0K

$4.39 ₱277

87.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.43 ₩27.2K

$7.60 ₱479

168.82%

Apples (1kg)

$11.12 ₩14.8K

$3.30 ₱208

236.97%

Banana (1kg)

$5.49 ₩7,300

$1.39 ₱87.8

294.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.81 ₩7,732

$2.33 ₱147

149.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 ₩8,072

$1.50 ₱94.3

304.67%

Potato (1kg)

$5.34 ₩7,102

$2.36 ₱149

126.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 ₩3,744

$1.90 ₱119

48.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ₩2,273

$1.19 ₱74.9

43.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,510

$0.63 ₱39.71

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ₩4,426

$3.00 ₱189

11.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.90 ₩25.1K

$6.03 ₱379

213.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 ₩3,393

$1.23 ₱77.7

107.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₩4,712

$1.75 ₱110

102.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$0.25 ₱15.86

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.09 ₩14.7K

$12.64 ₱796

-12.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 ₩4,398

$0.77 ₱48.62

329.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩950

$0.23 ₱14.53

208.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.82 ₩22.4K

$4.46 ₱281

277.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₩1,638

$1.31 ₱82.8

-6.11%

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

$28.5K ₩37.8M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

33.94%

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

$23.7K ₩31.6M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

23.98%

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

$172 ₩228.4K

$120 ₱7,569

42.89%

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

$42.96 ₩57.1K

$14.00 ₱882

206.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 ₩29.5K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-19.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.10 ₩44.0K

$32.33 ₱2,035

2.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$5.65 ₱356

100.18%

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

$304 ₩403.8K

$275 ₱17.3K

10.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ₩29.1M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

176.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 ₩85.8K

$49.33 ₱3,106

30.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 ₩55.7K

$25.24 ₱1,589

66.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 ₩122.8K

$77.0 ₱4,846

20.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₩142.0K

$57.2 ₱3,601

86.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₩490.2K

$500 ₱31.5K

-26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ₩391.3K

$309 ₱19.4K

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 ₩1.4M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-4.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₩788.5K

$615 ₱38.7K

-3.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,547 ₩7.4M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

92.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,546 ₩6.0M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

137.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,336 ₩3.1M

$346 ₱21.8K

575.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

7.2

-49.31%

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

Last update for Daejeon: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daejeon

$446 33.2%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 53.9% $241

Accommodation & Living

Daejeon

$294 21.9%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 4.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daejeon

$237 17.6%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 31.7% $75

Eating Out

Daejeon

$151 11.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 41.4% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Daejeon

$138 10.2%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 31.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Daejeon

$56 4.2%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 21.7% $12

Getting Around

Daejeon

$22 1.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 30.3% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $369 in Daejeon and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Daejeon pays 575% 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 Daejeon vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daejeon

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

1 h behind Daejeon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,324

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

Daejeon Cebu 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Daejeon
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

Daejeon vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 575% higher in Daejeon, 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: $369 in Daejeon versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,344 per month in Daejeon versus $918 in Cebu – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 14% less than in Daejeon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,344 in Daejeon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Daejeon. 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 Daejeon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Daejeon 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 46% less than in Daejeon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.