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: $939 in Phnom Penh versus $873 in Cebu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,462 in Phnom Penh versus $1,339 in Cebu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,985 in Phnom Penh versus $1,805 in Cebu.

Living in Phnom Penh is roughly 8% more expensive than in Cebu, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phnom Penh 30% lower, Cebu 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.04 ៛20.3K

$4.39 ₱270

14.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 ៛119.6K

$24.30 ₱1,496

22.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.97 ៛28.1K

$4.53 ₱279

53.86%

Cappuccino

$2.61 ៛10.5K

$2.52 ₱155

3.57%

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

$1.03 ៛4,164

$0.80 ₱49.42

28.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 ៛3,966

$0.42 ₱25.97

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ៛5,964

$1.59 ₱97.7

-6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ៛9,922

$2.19 ₱135

12.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ៛8,306

$2.26 ₱139

-8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ៛5,929

$1.51 ₱93.0

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ៛3,886

$1.16 ₱71.6

-17.24%

Eggs

$1.78 ៛7,160

$2.36 ₱145

-24.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 ៛52.3K

$12.87 ₱792

0.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ៛16.9K

$5.38 ₱331

-21.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.26 ៛41.4K

$7.82 ₱481

31.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 ៛18.0K

$3.53 ₱217

26.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ៛6,435

$1.51 ₱92.9

5.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 ៛15.3K

$3.29 ₱203

15.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 ៛5,955

$2.20 ₱136

-32.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ៛7,004

$2.64 ₱162

-34.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 ៛4,878

$2.46 ₱152

-50.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 ៛5,818

$1.00 ₱61.4

44.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ៛2,880

$0.78 ₱48.06

-8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 ៛8,194

$3.10 ₱191

-34.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.07 ៛44.6K

$6.43 ₱396

72.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ៛4,251

$1.16 ₱71.7

-9.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ៛6,582

$2.24 ₱138

-27.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 ៛6,218

$0.26 ₱15.80

492.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.57 ៛42.6K

$15.36 ₱945

-31.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ៛4,108

$0.81 ₱49.81

25.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ៛3,915

$0.23 ₱14.06

321.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 ៛18.6K

$2.64 ₱163

75.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ៛4,517

$1.10 ₱67.7

1.82%

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

$49.3K ៛198.9M

$30.5K ₱1.9M

61.89%

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

$36.4K ៛146.7M

$27.7K ₱1.7M

31.18%

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

$104 ៛418.5K

$95.9 ₱5,904

8.25%

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

$6.21 ៛25.0K

$34.05 ₱2,096

-81.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.75 ៛95.8K

$29.86 ₱1,838

-20.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.45 ៛187.3K

$33.32 ₱2,051

39.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 ៛58.6K

$8.45 ₱520

71.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 ៛18.3K

$5.79 ₱357

-21.76%

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

$379 ៛1.5M

$235 ₱14.5K

60.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ៛46.8M

$3,913 ₱240.9K

196.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.08 ៛89.0K

$53.1 ₱3,272

-58.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.04 ៛88.9K

$22.65 ₱1,395

-2.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 ៛366.6K

$76.1 ₱4,684

19.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.4 ៛299.9K

$55.0 ₱3,383

35.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 ៛2.0M

$508 ₱31.3K

-0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ៛1.1M

$210 ₱12.9K

31.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 ៛4.2M

$800 ₱49.3K

29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 ៛2.2M

$389 ₱24.0K

41.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,910 ៛11.7M

$3,013 ₱185.5K

-3.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,520 ៛6.1M

$1,950 ₱120.1K

-22.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$326 ៛1.3M

$340 ₱20.9K

-4.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.3

28.75%

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

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Phnom Penh and $508 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Phnom Penh vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $241 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $505 in Phnom Penh versus $508 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $939 per month in Phnom Penh versus $873 in Cebu – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 45% less than in Phnom Penh. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $873 in Cebu versus $939 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 8% less than in Phnom Penh. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.