Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gimcheon and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,319 in Gimcheon, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Gimcheon
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Gimcheon Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Gimcheon

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,319

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,319 in Gimcheon versus $918 in Cebu.

Gimcheon $1,319
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,779 in Gimcheon versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Gimcheon $1,779
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,239 in Gimcheon versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Gimcheon $2,239
Cebu $1,900

Living in Gimcheon is roughly 44% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gimcheon 2% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.09 ₩8,119

$3.09 ₱195

97.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.04 ₩45.4K

$24.22 ₱1,525

40.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 ₩8,959

$3.92 ₱247

71.17%

Cappuccino

$3.70 ₩4,938

$2.51 ₱158

47.41%

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

$1.61 ₩2,143

$1.59 ₱100

1.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₩845

$0.53 ₱33.45

18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 ₩4,700

$1.78 ₱112

97.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₩5,960

$2.17 ₱137

105.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩2,985

$1.92 ₱121

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₩4,279

$1.36 ₱85.5

136.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₩3,021

$1.01 ₱63.6

123.76%

Eggs

$3.31 ₩4,416

$2.03 ₱128

63.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 ₩21.1K

$9.86 ₱621

60.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 ₩10.3K

$4.39 ₱277

75.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 ₩15.1K

$7.60 ₱479

49.21%

Apples (1kg)

$7.77 ₩10.4K

$3.30 ₱208

135.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 ₩4,317

$1.39 ₱87.8

133.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.36 ₩9,826

$2.33 ₱147

215.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.78 ₩9,051

$1.50 ₱94.3

352.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,751

$2.36 ₱149

50.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 ₩3,214

$1.90 ₱119

26.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 ₩2,721

$1.19 ₱74.9

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ₩1,977

$0.63 ₱39.73

134.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,588

$3.00 ₱189

14.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.48 ₩24.7K

$6.03 ₱380

206.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₩3,082

$1.23 ₱77.7

87.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 ₩1,372

$0.25 ₱15.87

312.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ₩3,909

$0.77 ₱48.64

280.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 ₩880

$0.23 ₱14.54

186.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ₩1,530

$1.31 ₱82.8

-12.21%

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

$29.5K ₩39.4M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.91%

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

$35.9K ₩47.9M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

87.69%

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

$213 ₩284.8K

$120 ₱7,573

77.52%

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

$44.15 ₩58.9K

$14.00 ₱882

215.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.62 ₩27.5K

$27.54 ₱1,735

-25.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 ₩94.3K

$32.33 ₱2,036

118.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 ₩15.2K

$5.65 ₱356

101.06%

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

$303 ₩404.4K

$275 ₱17.3K

10.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ₩23.6M

$7,918 ₱498.8K

123.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 ₩89.0K

$49.33 ₱3,107

35.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.2 ₩85.6K

$25.24 ₱1,590

154.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 ₩98.8K

$77.0 ₱4,848

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 ₩131.5K

$57.2 ₱3,603

72.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$296 ₩394.5K

$500 ₱31.5K

-40.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 ₩325.4K

$309 ₱19.5K

-21.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

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)

$1,930 ₩2.6M

$346 ₱21.8K

457.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

7.2

-43.06%

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

Last update for Gimcheon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gimcheon

$408 * 30.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 49.6% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gimcheon

$278 21.1%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 41.9% $116

Accommodation & Living

Gimcheon

$244 18.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 26.6% $65

Eating Out

Gimcheon

$149 11.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 40.7% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Gimcheon

$137 10.4%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 31.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Gimcheon

$93 7.1%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 53.3% $50

Getting Around

Gimcheon

$10 * 0.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 50.6% $5.2

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 $296 in Gimcheon and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimcheon pays 458% 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: $34.00 in Gimcheon vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gimcheon

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

1 h behind Gimcheon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,056

964,169

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 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 KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Gimcheon Cebu 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Gimcheon
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

Gimcheon vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 458% higher in Gimcheon, 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: $296 in Gimcheon versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Gimcheon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,319 per month in Gimcheon versus $918 in Cebu – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,319 in Gimcheon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gimcheon. 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 Gimcheon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gimcheon 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 44% less than in Gimcheon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.