Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gongju and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,539 in Gongju, 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 Gongju
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Gongju Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Gongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,539

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,539 in Gongju versus $918 in Cebu.

Gongju $1,539
Cebu $918

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

Gongju $2,437
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,335 in Gongju versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Gongju $3,335
Cebu $1,900

Living in Gongju 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: Gongju is 14% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 ₩9,697

$3.09 ₱194

135.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.03 ₩63.9K

$24.22 ₱1,525

98.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 ₩8,700

$3.92 ₱247

66.84%

Cappuccino

$3.77 ₩5,015

$2.51 ₱158

50.20%

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

$1.85 ₩2,461

$1.59 ₱100

16.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ₩1,918

$0.53 ₱33.43

171.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,104

$1.78 ₱112

115.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 ₩5,721

$2.17 ₱137

98.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ₩3,004

$1.92 ₱121

17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 ₩4,246

$1.36 ₱85.4

134.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 ₩4,197

$1.01 ₱63.5

212.87%

Eggs

$2.74 ₩3,641

$2.03 ₱128

34.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 ₩14.5K

$9.86 ₱621

10.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 ₩13.9K

$4.39 ₱277

138.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.73 ₩32.9K

$7.60 ₱479

225.39%

Apples (1kg)

$11.31 ₩15.0K

$3.30 ₱208

242.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.61 ₩4,803

$1.39 ₱87.8

159.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.27 ₩11.0K

$2.33 ₱147

254.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩7,908

$1.50 ₱94.3

296.67%

Potato (1kg)

$6.11 ₩8,120

$2.36 ₱149

158.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 ₩4,283

$1.90 ₱119

69.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 ₩3,766

$1.19 ₱74.9

137.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 ₩1,704

$0.63 ₱39.71

103.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ₩4,357

$3.00 ₱189

9.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.67 ₩24.8K

$6.03 ₱379

209.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₩3,166

$1.23 ₱77.7

93.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 ₩4,700

$1.75 ₱110

101.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,513

$0.25 ₱15.86

356.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 ₩4,884

$0.77 ₱48.62

376.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 ₩967

$0.23 ₱14.53

217.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.08 ₩22.7K

$4.46 ₱281

282.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 ₩1,819

$1.31 ₱82.8

4.58%

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

$29.5K ₩39.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

39.01%

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

$33.3K ₩44.3M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

74.05%

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

$197 ₩262.1K

$120 ₱7,569

63.94%

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

$36.42 ₩48.4K

$14.00 ₱882

160.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.72 ₩35.5K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 ₩69.0K

$32.33 ₱2,035

60.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.00 ₩16.0K

$6.65 ₱419

80.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 ₩15.7K

$5.65 ₱356

108.85%

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

$624 ₩830.3K

$275 ₱17.3K

126.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K ₩28.7M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

172.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 ₩137.8K

$49.33 ₱3,106

110.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.4 ₩88.3K

$25.24 ₱1,589

163.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 ₩125.9K

$77.0 ₱4,846

23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ₩168.5K

$57.2 ₱3,601

121.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 ₩650.1K

$500 ₱31.5K

-2.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 ₩484.6K

$309 ₱19.4K

18.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 ₩1.5M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

6.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 ₩1.0M

$615 ₱38.7K

23.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,239 ₩9.6M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

150.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,410 ₩7.2M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

182.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,309 ₩1.7M

$346 ₱21.8K

278.33%

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 Gongju: 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

Gongju

$486 31.6%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 57.7% $280

Accommodation & Living

Gongju

$364 23.7%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 15.3% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gongju

$260 16.9%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 37.8% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Gongju

$176 11.5%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 46.7% $82

Eating Out

Gongju

$164 10.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 46.2% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Gongju

$75 4.9%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 42.2% $32

Getting Around

Gongju

$12 * 0.8%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 31.3% $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 $489 in Gongju and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gongju pays 278% 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: $48.00 in Gongju vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gongju

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

05:35 5:35 AM

1 h behind Gongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,428

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 = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gongju Cebu 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Gongju
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

Gongju 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 278% higher in Gongju, 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: $489 in Gongju versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 136% higher in Gongju. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,539 per month in Gongju 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 $1,539 in Gongju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gongju. 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 Gongju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gongju 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 Gongju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.