Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gimhae and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,541 in Gimhae, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Gimhae
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Gimhae Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Gimhae

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,541

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,541 in Gimhae versus $918 in Cebu.

Gimhae $1,541
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,437 in Gimhae versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Gimhae $2,437
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,333 in Gimhae versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Gimhae $3,333
Cebu $1,900

Living in Gimhae is roughly 68% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gimhae is 14% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 ₩10.2K

$3.09 ₱194

148.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.55 ₩64.6K

$24.22 ₱1,525

100.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.61 ₩8,790

$3.92 ₱247

68.62%

Cappuccino

$3.59 ₩4,771

$2.51 ₱158

43.03%

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

$1.84 ₩2,451

$1.59 ₱100

15.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,865

$0.53 ₱33.43

164.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 ₩4,979

$1.78 ₱112

110.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 ₩5,632

$2.17 ₱137

95.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩2,997

$1.92 ₱121

17.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₩4,237

$1.36 ₱85.4

134.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,052

$1.01 ₱63.5

201.98%

Eggs

$2.70 ₩3,588

$2.03 ₱128

33.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 ₩14.7K

$9.86 ₱621

11.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 ₩14.0K

$4.39 ₱277

140.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.32 ₩33.7K

$7.60 ₱479

233.16%

Apples (1kg)

$11.29 ₩15.0K

$3.30 ₱208

242.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,774

$1.39 ₱87.8

158.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.31 ₩11.0K

$2.33 ₱147

256.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 ₩8,034

$1.50 ₱94.3

302.67%

Potato (1kg)

$6.15 ₩8,173

$2.36 ₱149

160.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 ₩4,380

$1.90 ₱119

73.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 ₩3,795

$1.19 ₱74.9

139.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₩1,695

$0.63 ₱39.71

101.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ₩4,494

$3.00 ₱189

12.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.56 ₩24.7K

$6.03 ₱379

207.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₩3,173

$1.23 ₱77.7

94.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 ₩4,653

$1.75 ₱110

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,451

$0.25 ₱15.86

336.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ₩4,859

$0.77 ₱48.62

374.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₩1,023

$0.23 ₱14.53

234.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.84 ₩22.4K

$4.46 ₱281

277.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₩1,707

$1.31 ₱82.8

-2.29%

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

$29.4K ₩39.2M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

38.61%

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

$33.7K ₩44.8M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

76.12%

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

$202 ₩268.2K

$120 ₱7,569

67.76%

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

$35.95 ₩47.8K

$14.00 ₱882

156.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.53 ₩35.3K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ₩68.4K

$32.33 ₱2,035

59.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.05 ₩16.0K

$6.65 ₱419

81.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 ₩16.1K

$5.65 ₱356

113.98%

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

$627 ₩833.8K

$275 ₱17.3K

127.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K ₩28.6M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

171.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₩137.3K

$49.33 ₱3,106

109.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.3 ₩88.1K

$25.24 ₱1,589

162.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 ₩122.6K

$77.0 ₱4,846

19.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.5K

$57.2 ₱3,601

121.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$491 ₩653.2K

$500 ₱31.5K

-1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 ₩480.5K

$309 ₱19.4K

17.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 ₩1.5M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

6.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 ₩989.1K

$615 ₱38.7K

20.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,025 ₩9.3M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

143.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,432 ₩7.2M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

183.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,546 ₩3.4M

$346 ₱21.8K

636.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

7.2

-41.39%

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

Last update for Gimhae: 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

Gimhae

$488 31.7%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 57.9% $283

Accommodation & Living

Gimhae

$361 23.5%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 14.5% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gimhae

$264 17.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 38.8% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Gimhae

$175 11.3%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 46.3% $81

Eating Out

Gimhae

$164 10.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 46.3% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Gimhae

$76 4.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 42.3% $32

Getting Around

Gimhae

$12 * 0.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 31.2% $3.7

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 $491 in Gimhae and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gimhae pays 636% 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: $49.00 in Gimhae vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gimhae

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

02:39 2:39 AM

1 h behind Gimhae

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

532,132

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

Gimhae Cebu 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Gimhae
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

Gimhae vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 636% higher in Gimhae, 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: $491 in Gimhae versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 137% higher in Gimhae. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,541 per month in Gimhae versus $918 in Cebu – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,541 in Gimhae, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gimhae. 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 Gimhae, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gimhae 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 68% less than in Gimhae. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.