Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeju and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,111 in Jeju, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Jeju outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Jeju
Learn more

Jeju Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Jeju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,111

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,111 in Jeju versus $934 in Cebu.

Jeju $1,111
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,874 in Jeju versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Jeju $1,874
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,637 in Jeju versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Jeju $2,637
Cebu $1,896

Living in Jeju is roughly 19% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jeju 17% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.26 ₩9,749

$3.03 ₱191

139.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 ₩69.9K

$23.48 ₱1,476

121.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 ₩7,308

$4.09 ₱257

33.01%

Cappuccino

$6.03 ₩8,099

$2.52 ₱158

139.29%

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

$2.22 ₩2,988

$1.54 ₱97.2

44.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₩2,601

$0.49 ₱31.06

295.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ₩4,808

$1.79 ₱113

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,907

$2.26 ₱142

28.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ₩2,987

$1.95 ₱122

13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 ₩2,968

$1.43 ₱89.9

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₩3,079

$1.02 ₱64.0

124.51%

Eggs

$2.70 ₩3,621

$2.06 ₱129

31.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₩2,866

$1.45 ₱91.2

46.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 ₩3,934

$2.36 ₱148

24.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 ₩2,512

$1.99 ₱125

-6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 ₩2,932

$1.15 ₱72.3

89.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ₩579

$0.67 ₱42.26

-35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 ₩15.3K

$6.35 ₱399

79.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 ₩2,594

$1.31 ₱82.1

47.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₩2,305

$1.73 ₱109

-0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₩1,275

$0.25 ₱15.82

280.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 ₩1,862

$1.33 ₱83.7

4.51%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$210 ₩282.5K

$121 ₱7,583

74.43%

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

$54.7 ₩73.5K

$14.45 ₱909

278.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.28 ₩25.9K

$28.29 ₱1,779

-31.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,055

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

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

$273 ₱17.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K ₩33.0M

$8,156 ₱512.9K

201.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 ₩70.2K

$49.57 ₱3,117

5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.57 ₩39.7K

$24.87 ₱1,564

18.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 ₩88.3K

$76.6 ₱4,817

-14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 ₩120.8K

$59.3 ₱3,727

51.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 ₩618.0K

$506 ₱31.8K

-9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 ₩512.5K

$309 ₱19.5K

23.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 ₩1.8M

$1,052 ₱66.1K

25.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 ₩1.5M

$619 ₱38.9K

85.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K ₩14.0M

$2,915 ₱183.4K

256.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,745 ₩9.1M

$1,867 ₱117.4K

261.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,840 ₩2.5M

$341 ₱21.5K

439.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Jeju: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jeju

$382 34.6%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 18.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jeju

$284 25.8%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 42.6% $121

Eating Out

Jeju

$187 17%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 52.8% $99

Groceries & Markets

Jeju

$139 * 12.6%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 50.9% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Jeju

$107 9.7%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 11.5% $12

Getting Around

Jeju

$3.8 * 0.3%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 306% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Jeju

- * 0%

Cebu

$44 4.7%

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 $460 in Jeju and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jeju pays 439% 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: $52.0 in Jeju vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $139 vs $210, with Jeju cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Jeju

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h behind Jeju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,279

964,169

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jeju Cebu 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jeju
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

Jeju vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 439% higher in Jeju, 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: $460 in Jeju versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Jeju pay roughly 51% 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 $23.00 versus $52.0 in Jeju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jeju, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Jeju 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 19% less than in Jeju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.