Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gyeongju and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,228 in Gyeongju, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Gyeongju
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Gyeongju Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Gyeongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,228

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Gyeongju versus $918 in Cebu.

Gyeongju $1,228
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,988 in Gyeongju versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Gyeongju $1,988
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,748 in Gyeongju versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Gyeongju $2,748
Cebu $1,900

Living in Gyeongju is roughly 34% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gyeongju 9% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.61 ₩10.1K

$3.09 ₱194

146.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.01 ₩63.8K

$24.22 ₱1,525

98.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,653

$3.92 ₱247

66.07%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ₩4,012

$2.51 ₱158

20.32%

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

$1.10 ₩1,457

$1.59 ₱100

-30.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₩469

$0.53 ₱33.43

-33.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ₩3,442

$1.78 ₱112

45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 ₩5,764

$2.17 ₱137

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 ₩3,073

$1.92 ₱121

20.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 ₩3,280

$1.36 ₱85.4

81.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 ₩4,164

$1.01 ₱63.5

209.90%

Eggs

$2.60 ₩3,451

$2.03 ₱128

28.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 ₩14.7K

$9.86 ₱621

12.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 ₩13.7K

$4.39 ₱277

135.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.49 ₩24.6K

$7.60 ₱479

143.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 ₩5,985

$3.30 ₱208

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 ₩3,411

$1.39 ₱87.8

84.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 ₩5,075

$2.33 ₱147

63.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 ₩4,879

$1.50 ₱94.3

144.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 ₩3,398

$2.36 ₱149

8.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ₩2,897

$1.90 ₱119

14.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 ₩2,917

$1.19 ₱74.9

84.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,766

$0.63 ₱39.71

111.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,571

$3.00 ₱189

14.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 ₩19.6K

$6.03 ₱379

144.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₩1,515

$1.23 ₱77.7

-7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 ₩2,949

$1.75 ₱110

26.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 ₩1,409

$0.25 ₱15.86

324.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ₩3,895

$0.77 ₱48.62

280.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 ₩1,046

$0.23 ₱14.53

243.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.57 ₩22.0K

$4.46 ₱281

271.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 ₩1,354

$1.31 ₱82.8

-22.14%

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

$29.6K ₩39.3M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

39.13%

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

$34.0K ₩45.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

77.68%

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

$80.6 ₩107.1K

$120 ₱7,569

-33.00%

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

$36.83 ₩49.0K

$14.00 ₱882

163.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.20 ₩36.2K

$27.54 ₱1,734

-1.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ₩69.3K

$32.33 ₱2,035

61.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.96 ₩15.9K

$6.65 ₱419

79.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 ₩14.7K

$5.65 ₱356

95.40%

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

$639 ₩849.8K

$275 ₱17.3K

132.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K ₩29.5M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

180.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.34 ₩60.3K

$49.33 ₱3,106

-8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 ₩29.8K

$25.24 ₱1,589

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 ₩121.9K

$77.0 ₱4,846

19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 ₩170.8K

$57.2 ₱3,601

124.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 ₩635.9K

$500 ₱31.5K

-4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 ₩486.7K

$309 ₱19.4K

18.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 ₩1.5M

$1,078 ₱67.9K

7.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 ₩972.7K

$615 ₱38.7K

18.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,249 ₩9.6M

$2,886 ₱181.7K

151.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,416 ₩7.2M

$1,917 ₱120.7K

182.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,841 ₩2.4M

$346 ₱21.8K

432.02%

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 Gyeongju: 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

Gyeongju

$366 29.8%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 15.6% $57

Groceries & Markets

Gyeongju

$359 29.2%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 42.6% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gyeongju

$145 11.8%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 11.9% $17

Eating Out

Gyeongju

$144 11.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 38.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Gyeongju

$130 10.6%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 27.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Gyeongju

$74 6%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 41.2% $31

Getting Around

Gyeongju

$11 * 0.9%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 40.3% $4.5

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 $478 in Gyeongju and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gyeongju pays 432% 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 Gyeongju vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Gyeongju

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

03:52 3:52 AM

1 h behind Gyeongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

258,156

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

Gyeongju Cebu 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Gyeongju
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

Gyeongju vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 432% higher in Gyeongju, 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: $478 in Gyeongju versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Gyeongju. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,228 per month in Gyeongju versus $918 in Cebu – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,228 in Gyeongju, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gyeongju. 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 Gyeongju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gyeongju 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 34% less than in Gyeongju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.