Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ongjin and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $710 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

35

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
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Ongjin Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$710

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $710 in Ongjin versus $934 in Cebu.

Ongjin $710
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,126 in Ongjin versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Ongjin $1,126
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,543 in Ongjin versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Ongjin $1,543
Cebu $1,896

Living in Ongjin costs roughly 24% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ongjin 47% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.79 $2.79

$3.03 ₱191

-7.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 $23.34

$23.48 ₱1,476

-0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 $7.98

$4.09 ₱257

95.11%

Cappuccino

$1.16 $1.16

$2.52 ₱158

-53.97%

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

$0.98 $0.98

$1.54 ₱97.2

-36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.49 ₱31.06

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 $6.64

$1.79 ₱113

270.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.26 ₱142

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.95 ₱122

-52.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.43 ₱89.9

9.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.02 ₱64.0

121.57%

Eggs

$3.28 $3.28

$2.06 ₱129

59.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$9.81 ₱617

-52.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$4.61 ₱290

-50.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$7.70 ₱484

-26.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 $6.80

$3.31 ₱208

105.44%

Banana (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$1.45 ₱91.2

219.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.36 ₱148

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.54 ₱96.6

48.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.36 ₱148

48.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.99 ₱125

67.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.15 ₱72.3

100.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 $0.43

$0.67 ₱42.26

-35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.00 ₱189

55.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$6.35 ₱399

22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.31 ₱82.1

-15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.73 ₱109

28.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.25 ₱15.82

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.98 $39.98

$12.65 ₱796

216.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.74 ₱46.44

112.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.21 ₱13.15

961.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.01 $41.01

$4.33 ₱272

847.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.33 ₱83.7

-43.61%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

5.63%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

43.82%

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

$33.78 $33.78

$121 ₱7,583

-71.99%

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

$11.46 $11.46

$14.45 ₱909

-20.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.71 $45.71

$28.29 ₱1,779

61.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.61 $43.61

$32.68 ₱2,055

33.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 $14.96

$6.39 ₱402

134.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.75 $7.75

$5.46 ₱343

41.94%

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

$109 $109

$273 ₱17.2K

-60.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,117 $2,117

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-74.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.72 $22.72

$49.57 ₱3,117

-54.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.97 $27.97

$24.87 ₱1,564

12.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 $61.6

$76.6 ₱4,817

-19.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 $84.1

$59.3 ₱3,727

41.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$89.2 $89.2

$506 ₱31.8K

-82.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.3 $91.3

$309 ₱19.5K

-70.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 $2,244

$1,052 ₱66.1K

113.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 $136

$619 ₱38.9K

-78.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,691 $1,691

$2,915 ₱183.4K

-42.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 $1,423

$1,867 ₱117.4K

-23.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 $214

$341 ₱21.5K

-37.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.11

7.2

-1.25%

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

Last update for Ongjin: October 5, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ongjin

$229 31.8%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 8.3% $19

Eating Out

Ongjin

$106 14.7%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 16.4% $17

Accommodation & Living

Ongjin

$91 12.7%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 239% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ongjin

$91 12.6%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 79.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Ongjin

$88 12.3%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 7.1% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Ongjin

$59 8.2%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 26.3% $16

Getting Around

Ongjin

$57 7.9%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 72.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $89.2 in Ongjin and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 59% 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: $23.00 in Ongjin vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $210, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

13:53 1:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

1 h behind Ongjin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,878

964,169

💱 Currency

USD USD

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

PHP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ongjin Cebu 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ongjin
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

Ongjin vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongjin is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Cebu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $89.2 in Ongjin versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $710 per month in Ongjin versus $934 in Cebu – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ongjin runs roughly 216% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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

For families, Ongjin 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.

Safety-wise, Ongjin 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 Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.