Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeonggi and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,072 in Gyeonggi, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Gyeonggi
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Gyeonggi Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Gyeonggi

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,072

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,072 in Gyeonggi versus $918 in Cebu.

Gyeonggi $1,072
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,079 in Gyeonggi versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Gyeonggi $2,079
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,085 in Gyeonggi versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Gyeonggi $3,085
Cebu $1,900

Living in Gyeonggi is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gyeonggi 21% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 ₩10.1K

$3.09 ₱195

143.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 ₩80.9K

$24.22 ₱1,525

150.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.00 ₩8,003

$3.92 ₱247

53.06%

Cappuccino

$3.90 ₩5,198

$2.51 ₱158

55.38%

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

$1.22 ₩1,630

$1.59 ₱100

-23.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₩906

$0.53 ₱33.45

28.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 ₩4,626

$1.78 ₱112

94.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ₩3,903

$2.17 ₱137

35.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ₩2,342

$1.92 ₱121

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

Apples (1kg)

$11.17 ₩14.9K

$3.30 ₱208

238.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 ₩5,102

$1.39 ₱87.8

174.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.70 ₩10.3K

$2.33 ₱147

230.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ₩4,101

$0.77 ₱48.64

298.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ₩778

$0.23 ₱14.54

152.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ₩1,951

$1.31 ₱82.8

11.45%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

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

$186 ₩248.7K

$120 ₱7,573

55.01%

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

$40.40 ₩53.9K

$14.00 ₱882

188.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.83 ₩29.1K

$27.54 ₱1,735

-20.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 ₩75.2K

$32.33 ₱2,036

74.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 ₩13.8K

$5.65 ₱356

82.65%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.6K

$49.33 ₱3,107

19.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 ₩56.1K

$25.24 ₱1,590

66.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 ₩115.2K

$77.0 ₱4,848

12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 ₩709.5K

$500 ₱31.5K

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ₩498.2K

$309 ₱19.5K

20.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ₩2.8M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

95.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 ₩2.0M

$615 ₱38.8K

144.25%

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)

$2,244 ₩3.0M

$346 ₱21.8K

548.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

7.2

-51.39%

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

Last update for Gyeonggi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gyeonggi

$373 34.8%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 17.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeonggi

$249 23.2%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 34.9% $87

Eating Out

Gyeonggi

$156 14.5%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 43.4% $68

Groceries & Markets

Gyeonggi

$127 * 11.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 61.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeonggi

$84 * 7.9%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 11.4% $9.6

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeonggi

$77 7.2%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 43.3% $33

Getting Around

Gyeonggi

$6 * 0.6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 160% $9.6

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 $532 in Gyeonggi and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gyeonggi pays 549% 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: $61.0 in Gyeonggi vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $127 vs $206, with Gyeonggi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeonggi

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

03:00 3:00 AM

02:00 2:00 AM

1 h behind Gyeonggi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,234,582

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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Between locations

Gyeonggi Cebu 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Gyeonggi
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

Gyeonggi vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 549% higher in Gyeonggi, 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: $532 in Gyeonggi versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Gyeonggi pay roughly 62% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cebu – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $61.0 in Gyeonggi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,072 in Gyeonggi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gyeonggi. 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 Gyeonggi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gyeonggi 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 17% less than in Gyeonggi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.