Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dong Hoi and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Dong Hoi: $750 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Dong Hoi
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Dong Hoi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Dong Hoi

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$750

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $750 in Dong Hoi versus $918 in Cebu.

Dong Hoi $750
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,218 in Dong Hoi versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Dong Hoi $1,218
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,687 in Dong Hoi versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Dong Hoi $1,687
Cebu $1,900

Living in Dong Hoi costs roughly 18% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dong Hoi 44% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₫53.3K

$3.09 ₱195

-33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.93 ₫490.1K

$24.22 ₱1,525

-21.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.62 ₫93.7K

$3.92 ₱247

-7.65%

Cappuccino

$1.03 ₫26.6K

$2.51 ₱158

-58.96%

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

$0.34 ₫8,876

$1.59 ₱100

-78.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₫8,276

$0.53 ₱33.45

-39.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$1.78 ₱112

-70.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₫58.7K

$2.17 ₱137

4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ₫41.0K

$1.92 ₱121

-17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 ₫22.2K

$1.36 ₱85.5

-36.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₫26.5K

$1.01 ₱63.6

0.99%

Eggs

$1.50 ₫38.9K

$2.03 ₱128

-26.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 ₫333.0K

$9.86 ₱621

30.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ₫85.6K

$4.39 ₱277

-24.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 ₫248.2K

$7.60 ₱479

26.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₫66.7K

$3.30 ₱208

-21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 ₫29.9K

$1.39 ₱87.8

-17.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 ₫34.2K

$2.33 ₱147

-43.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ₫41.2K

$1.50 ₱94.3

6.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 ₫29.4K

$2.36 ₱149

-52.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ₫32.4K

$1.90 ₱119

-34.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$1.19 ₱74.9

-12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₫13.8K

$0.63 ₱39.73

-15.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.56 ₫40.5K

$3.00 ₱189

-48.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ₫198.3K

$6.03 ₱380

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₫22.3K

$1.23 ₱77.7

-30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₫54.5K

$1.75 ₱110

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ₫8,844

$0.25 ₱15.87

36.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.65 ₫172.1K

$12.64 ₱796

-47.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$0.77 ₱48.64

35.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 ₫14.6K

$0.23 ₱14.54

143.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₫61.7K

$4.46 ₱281

-46.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 ₫24.4K

$1.31 ₱82.8

-28.24%

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

$30.8K ₫797.8M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

45.06%

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

$28.2K ₫728.8M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

47.03%

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

$66.2 ₫1.7M

$120 ₱7,573

-44.97%

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

$6.21 ₫160.9K

$14.00 ₱882

-55.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.00 ₫207.2K

$27.54 ₱1,735

-70.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.13 ₫572.8K

$32.33 ₱2,036

-31.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 ₫204.3K

$6.65 ₱419

18.65%

Cinema Ticket

$3.09 ₫80.0K

$5.65 ₱356

-45.31%

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

$162 ₫4.2M

$275 ₱17.3K

-41.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ₫381.3M

$7,918 ₱498.8K

85.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.69 ₫1.2M

$49.33 ₱3,107

-9.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.03 ₫725.7K

$25.24 ₱1,590

11.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 ₫2.6M

$77.0 ₱4,848

29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 ₫2.1M

$57.2 ₱3,603

41.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₫10.6M

$500 ₱31.5K

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₫7.1M

$309 ₱19.5K

-11.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 ₫19.6M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-29.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 ₫16.0M

$615 ₱38.8K

0.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₫74.7M

$2,886 ₱181.8K

0.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 ₫33.9M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

-31.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 ₫10.6M

$346 ₱21.8K

18.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

-2.78%

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

Last update for Dong Hoi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dong Hoi

$274 36.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 12.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Dong Hoi

$192 25.6%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 7.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Dong Hoi

$114 15.2%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 17.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dong Hoi

$80 10.7%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 101% $81

Eating Out

Dong Hoi

$50 6.6%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 78.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Dong Hoi

$28 3.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 54.1% $15

Getting Around

Dong Hoi

$12 1.6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 31.3% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

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

Dong Hoi pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Dong Hoi vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $206 per month, with Dong Hoi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Dong Hoi

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

19:42 7:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

1 h ahead of Dong Hoi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,601

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dong Hoi Cebu 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Dong Hoi
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

Dong Hoi vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dong Hoi is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Dong Hoi, 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 Dong Hoi versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $750 per month in Dong Hoi versus $918 in Cebu – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dong Hoi runs roughly 90% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Dong Hoi 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, Dong Hoi 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 Dong Hoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.