Cost of Living Comparison Between General Santos and Battambang Cost of Living Comparison Between General Santos and Battambang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $696 in General Santos versus $640 in Battambang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,087 in General Santos versus $1,006 in Battambang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,478 in General Santos versus $1,373 in Battambang.

Living in General Santos is roughly 9% more expensive than in Battambang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: General Santos 48% lower, Battambang 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 ₱269

$2.49 ៛10.0K

75.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.84 ₱667

$18.27 ៛73.7K

-40.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.92 ₱180

$5.70 ៛23.0K

-48.77%

Cappuccino

$2.12 ₱131

$1.52 ៛6,118

39.47%

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

$0.33 ₱20.18

$0.63 ៛2,544

-47.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱19.77

$0.48 ៛1,937

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱72.0

$0.72 ៛2,905

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₱52.4

$1.52 ៛6,117

-44.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 ₱85.8

$2.08 ៛8,398

-33.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 ₱53.5

$1.46 ៛5,873

-40.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱57.5

$1.02 ៛4,094

-8.82%

Eggs

$2.01 ₱124

$1.83 ៛7,387

9.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 ₱373

$12.76 ៛51.4K

-52.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 ₱181

$4.20 ៛16.9K

-30.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.38 ₱393

$10.44 ៛42.1K

-38.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ₱177

$2.53 ៛10.2K

13.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ₱72.2

$1.54 ៛6,228

-24.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ₱149

$2.29 ៛9,220

5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₱26.34

$1.51 ៛6,078

-71.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 ₱55.5

$1.54 ៛6,206

-41.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 ₱193

$1.25 ៛5,050

150.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₱66.0

$1.45 ៛5,830

-26.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ₱34.67

$0.48 ៛1,942

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 ₱134

$1.98 ៛7,989

10.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 ₱490

$11.18 ៛45.1K

-28.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₱67.0

$0.83 ៛3,360

31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ₱92.7

$1.02 ៛4,109

48.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 ₱22.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.70 ₱536

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱50.3

$0.99 ៛3,990

-17.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.15 ₱9.22

$1.02 ៛4,102

-85.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 ₱80.4

$4.09 ៛16.5K

-67.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₱69.8

$1.16 ៛4,693

-2.59%

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

$20.4K ₱1.3M

$48.3K ៛194.9M

-57.79%

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

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$37.4K ៛150.9M

-43.61%

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

$74.0 ₱4,553

$52.7 ៛212.7K

40.22%

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

$34.10 ₱2,100

$1.46 ៛5,898

2235.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.35 ₱2,238

$23.75 ៛95.8K

53.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.19 ₱2,105

$22.21 ៛89.5K

53.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.81 ₱111

Cinema Ticket

$3.15 ₱194

$4.39 ៛17.7K

-28.25%

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

$58.1 ₱3,577

$90.3 ៛364.3K

-35.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,392 ₱85.7K

$3,904 ៛15.7M

-64.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.43 ₱2,797

$20.10 ៛81.0K

126.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.62 ₱962

$22.47 ៛90.6K

-30.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,422

$44.51 ៛179.5K

61.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 ₱4,189

$41.40 ៛166.9K

64.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₱16.3K

$246 ៛991.6K

7.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₱10.7K

$172 ៛695.2K

1.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ₱36.0K

$468 ៛1.9M

24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ₱24.4K

$352 ៛1.4M

12.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 ៛798.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

-18.75%

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

Last update for General Santos: July 13, 2026

Last update for Battambang: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in General Santos and $246 in Battambang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11.00 in General Santos vs $18.00 in Battambang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $223 per month, with General Santos cheaper across the board.

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

General Santos vs Battambang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Battambang wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in General Santos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Battambang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,045 in General Santos and $959 in Battambang to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $265 in General Santos versus $246 in Battambang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $58.1 in General Santos versus $90.3 in Battambang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Battambang – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $11.00 in General Santos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Battambang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Battambang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $640 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Battambang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, General Santos and Battambang 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 Battambang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in General Santos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.