Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ninh Binh and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Ninh Binh: $730 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ninh Binh
🇻🇳 Vietnam
$730
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $730 in Ninh Binh versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Ninh Binh $730
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,166 in Ninh Binh versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Ninh Binh $1,166
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,602 in Ninh Binh versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Ninh Binh $1,602
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Ninh Binh costs roughly 20% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ninh Binh 46% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.90 ₫49.2K
$3.09 ₱194
-38.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.72 ₫536.4K
$24.22 ₱1,525
-14.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.71 ₫122.1K
$3.92 ₱247
20.15%
Cappuccino
$1.76 ₫45.4K
$2.51 ₱158
-29.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 ₫13.3K
$1.59 ₱100
-67.92%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ₫7,789
$0.53 ₱33.43
-43.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.01 ₫26.0K
$1.78 ₱112
-43.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 ₫39.2K
$2.17 ₱137
-30.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 ₫36.7K
$1.92 ₱121
-26.04%
White Bread (500g)
$0.96 ₫25.0K
$1.36 ₱85.4
-29.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.94 ₫24.5K
$1.01 ₱63.5
-6.93%
Eggs
$1.41 ₫36.4K
$2.03 ₱128
-30.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.66 ₫301.8K
$9.86 ₱621
18.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 ₫97.9K
$4.39 ₱277
-13.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.11 ₫261.6K
$7.60 ₱479
33.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.64 ₫68.3K
$3.30 ₱208
-20.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 ₫26.1K
$1.39 ₱87.8
-27.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 ₫34.4K
$2.33 ₱147
-42.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.13 ₫29.3K
$1.50 ₱94.3
-24.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 ₫27.5K
$2.36 ₱149
-55.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 ₫26.1K
$1.90 ₱119
-46.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 ₫18.2K
$1.19 ₱74.9
-41.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ₫13.5K
$0.63 ₱39.71
-17.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.32 ₫34.1K
$3.00 ₱189
-56.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.22 ₫290.6K
$6.03 ₱379
86.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 ₫19.0K
$1.23 ₱77.7
-40.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 ₫40.7K
$1.75 ₱110
-10.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.31 ₫8,137
$0.25 ₱15.86
24.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.35 ₫164.5K
$12.64 ₱796
-49.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.71 ₫18.3K
$0.77 ₱48.62
-7.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.66 ₫17.1K
$0.23 ₱14.53
186.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.72 ₫70.5K
$4.46 ₱281
-39.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 ₫23.6K
$1.31 ₱82.8
-30.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K ₫916.8M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
66.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K ₫820.9M
$19.1K ₱1.2M
65.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$75.1 ₫1.9M
$120 ₱7,569
-37.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.87 ₫152.0K
$14.00 ₱882
-58.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.69 ₫225.1K
$27.54 ₱1,734
-68.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.18 ₫574.3K
$32.33 ₱2,035
-31.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.86 ₫203.5K
$6.65 ₱419
18.20%
Cinema Ticket
$3.00 ₫77.7K
$5.65 ₱356
-46.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$263 ₫6.8M
$275 ₱17.3K
-4.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K ₫307.3M
$7,918 ₱498.5K
49.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.19 ₫1.1M
$49.33 ₱3,106
-16.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.06 ₫596.9K
$25.24 ₱1,589
-8.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.0 ₫2.2M
$77.0 ₱4,846
10.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.3 ₫1.9M
$57.2 ₱3,601
31.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$365 ₫9.4M
$500 ₱31.5K
-26.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$247 ₫6.4M
$309 ₱19.4K
-20.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$725 ₫18.8M
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-32.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$531 ₫13.7M
$615 ₱38.7K
-13.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,060 ₫53.3M
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-28.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,268 ₫32.8M
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-33.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ninh Binh
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$346 ₱21.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.1
7.2
26.39%

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

Last update for Ninh Binh: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ninh Binh
$247
Cebu
$309 25.2% $62
Groceries & Markets
Ninh Binh
$191
Cebu
$206 7.7% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Ninh Binh
$101
Cebu
$94 7% $7.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ninh Binh
$90
Cebu
$162 80.5% $72
Eating Out
Ninh Binh
$62
Cebu
$88 43% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Ninh Binh
$28
Cebu
$44 54.7% $15
Getting Around
Ninh Binh
$12
Cebu
$16 34% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $365 in Ninh Binh and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Ninh Binh vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $206 per month, with Ninh Binh cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇻🇳 Ninh Binh
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
20:52 8:52 PM
21:52 9:52 PM
1 h ahead of Ninh Binh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
148,406
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,108 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ninh Binh Cebu 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ninh Binh
  • 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
Ninh Binh vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Ninh Binh?
Ninh Binh is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,095 in Ninh Binh and $1,377 in Cebu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Ninh Binh and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $365 in Ninh Binh versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Ninh Binh and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $730 per month in Ninh Binh versus $918 in Cebu – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Ninh Binh runs roughly 99% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 enough for either Ninh Binh or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Ninh Binh gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Ninh Binh or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Ninh Binh is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cebu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Ninh Binh or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Ninh Binh 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Ninh Binh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ninh Binh vs other spots: cost of living compared

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