Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Cebu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phnom Penh and Cebu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,033 in Phnom Penh versus $936 in Cebu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Phnom Penh versus $1,427 in Cebu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,300 in Phnom Penh versus $1,918 in Cebu.

Living in Phnom Penh is roughly 10% more expensive than in Cebu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phnom Penh 25% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 ៛15.0K

$3.09 ₱193

20.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.48 ៛159.5K

$23.80 ₱1,488

65.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 ៛28.5K

$4.10 ₱257

71.71%

Cappuccino

$2.98 ៛12.1K

$2.60 ₱163

14.62%

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

$1.85 ៛7,471

$1.55 ₱96.9

19.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ៛2,678

$0.54 ₱33.46

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.46 ៛5,883

$1.73 ₱108

-15.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ៛12.2K

$2.19 ₱137

37.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ៛8,622

$1.92 ₱120

10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 ៛6,660

$1.39 ₱87.1

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ៛4,458

$0.97 ₱60.8

13.40%

Eggs

$1.73 ៛7,003

$2.00 ₱125

-13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.63 ៛59.1K

$9.93 ₱621

47.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.21 ៛17.0K

$4.38 ₱274

-3.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 ៛38.0K

$7.41 ₱463

26.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 ៛15.4K

$3.46 ₱217

10.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 ៛7,100

$1.47 ₱91.7

19.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 ៛16.9K

$2.41 ₱151

73.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 ៛8,878

$1.54 ₱96.5

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ៛6,244

$2.36 ₱148

-34.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 ៛4,968

$1.91 ₱119

-35.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ៛4,602

$1.24 ₱77.3

-8.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ៛2,984

$0.66 ₱41.42

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.91 ៛7,725

$3.00 ₱188

-36.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 ៛44.0K

$6.08 ₱380

79.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ៛3,895

$1.31 ₱81.8

-26.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 ៛7,285

$1.73 ₱108

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ៛1,745

$0.25 ₱15.65

72.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.82 ៛39.7K

$12.73 ₱796

-22.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 ៛4,442

$0.75 ₱46.78

46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ៛3,950

$0.23 ₱14.41

326.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 ៛21.0K

$4.60 ₱288

12.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ៛5,570

$1.34 ₱83.7

2.99%

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

$35.1K ៛142.0M

$21.8K ₱1.4M

61.34%

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

$44.0K ៛177.8M

$19.4K ₱1.2M

126.53%

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

$108 ៛438.3K

$121 ₱7,564

-10.33%

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

$7.79 ៛31.5K

$14.86 ₱929

-47.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.04 ៛101.2K

$27.84 ₱1,741

-10.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 ៛162.8K

$32.06 ₱2,005

25.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.94 ៛44.2K

$6.43 ₱402

70.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 ៛20.1K

$5.64 ₱352

-12.06%

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

$671 ៛2.7M

$273 ₱17.1K

145.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K ៛45.0M

$8,017 ₱501.3K

39.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.29 ៛114.3K

$48.77 ₱3,050

-41.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.54 ៛95.1K

$25.49 ₱1,594

-7.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 ៛371.9K

$78.1 ₱4,884

17.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.5 ៛240.4K

$57.8 ₱3,616

2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 ៛2.6M

$500 ₱31.3K

26.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 ៛1.5M

$300 ₱18.7K

24.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 ៛4.5M

$1,089 ₱68.1K

3.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$817 ៛3.3M

$632 ₱39.5K

29.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,911 ៛11.8M

$2,888 ₱180.6K

0.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,495 ៛6.0M

$1,877 ₱117.3K

-20.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$325 ៛1.3M

$346 ₱21.7K

-6.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.07

7.2

12.08%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cebu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $633 in Phnom Penh and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Phnom Penh vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $208 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

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

Phnom Penh vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $633 in Phnom Penh versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,033 per month in Phnom Penh versus $936 in Cebu – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 30% less than in Phnom Penh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $936 in Cebu versus $1,033 in Phnom Penh, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Phnom Penh. 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 Phnom Penh, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phnom Penh 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 10% less than in Phnom Penh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.