Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poipet and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Poipet: $514 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Poipet
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$514
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $514 in Poipet versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Poipet $514
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $808 in Poipet versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Poipet $808
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,102 in Poipet versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Poipet $1,102
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Poipet costs roughly 44% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Poipet 62% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.44 ៛9,901
$3.09 ₱194
-21.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.36 ៛82.7K
$24.22 ₱1,525
-15.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.92 ៛24.0K
$3.92 ₱247
51.02%
Cappuccino
$1.62 ៛6,593
$2.51 ₱158
-35.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 ៛2,687
$1.59 ₱100
-58.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.46 ៛1,854
$0.53 ₱33.43
-13.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.03 ៛4,178
$1.78 ₱112
-42.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 ៛8,078
$2.17 ₱137
-8.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.20 ៛8,947
$1.92 ₱121
14.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.69 ៛6,880
$1.36 ₱85.4
24.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.95 ៛3,842
$1.01 ₱63.5
-5.94%
Eggs
$1.69 ៛6,849
$2.03 ₱128
-16.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.61 ៛63.4K
$9.86 ₱621
58.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.90 ៛11.8K
$4.39 ₱277
-33.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.22 ៛41.5K
$7.60 ₱479
34.47%
Apples (1kg)
$4.19 ៛17.0K
$3.30 ₱208
26.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 ៛4,929
$1.39 ₱87.8
-12.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.72 ៛15.1K
$2.33 ₱147
59.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.10 ៛4,465
$1.50 ₱94.3
-26.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 ៛5,388
$2.36 ₱149
-43.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 ៛4,365
$1.90 ₱119
-43.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 ៛5,549
$1.19 ₱74.9
15.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 ៛3,070
$0.63 ₱39.71
20.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.35 ៛5,500
$3.00 ₱189
-55.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.69 ៛31.2K
$6.03 ₱379
27.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 ៛4,204
$1.23 ₱77.7
-15.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 ៛9,064
$1.75 ₱110
27.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.25 ₱15.86
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.64 ₱796
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.97 ៛8,012
$0.77 ₱48.62
155.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ៛4,139
$0.23 ₱14.53
343.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.10 ៛20.7K
$4.46 ₱281
14.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 ៛5,086
$1.31 ₱82.8
-4.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.0K ៛101.6M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
17.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K ៛92.0M
$19.1K ₱1.2M
18.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$101 ៛410.4K
$120 ₱7,569
-15.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.74 ៛23.3K
$14.00 ₱882
-59.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.57 ៛63.2K
$27.54 ₱1,734
-43.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$32.33 ₱2,035
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$6.65 ₱419
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.98 ៛20.2K
$5.65 ₱356
-11.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$284 ៛1.2M
$275 ₱17.3K
3.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,389 ៛17.8M
$7,918 ₱498.5K
-44.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.59 ៛108.0K
$49.33 ₱3,106
-46.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.15 ៛53.4K
$25.24 ₱1,589
-47.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.6 ៛278.7K
$77.0 ₱4,846
-10.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.16 ៛179.4K
$57.2 ₱3,601
-22.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$500 ₱31.5K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$309 ₱19.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$615 ₱38.7K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Poipet
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$346 ₱21.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9.2
7.2
27.78%

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

Last update for Poipet: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Poipet
$236
Cebu
$206 12.7% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Poipet
$122
Cebu
$162 32.2% $39
Eating Out
Poipet
$70
Cebu
$88 25.5% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Poipet
$69
Cebu
$94 36.9% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Poipet
$10 *
Cebu
$44 338% $34
Getting Around
Poipet
$7.1 *
Cebu
$16 120% $8.5
Accommodation & Living
Poipet
- *
Cebu
$309

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $20.00 in Poipet vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Poipet
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
09:54 9:54 AM
10:54 10:54 AM
1 h ahead of Poipet
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
98,934
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,062 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.46 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Poipet Cebu 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Poipet
  • 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
Poipet vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Poipet?
Poipet is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $771 in Poipet 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.
How do food prices compare in Poipet and in Cebu?
Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
What are total monthly expenses in Poipet and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $514 per month in Poipet versus $918 in Cebu – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 enough for either Poipet or Cebu?
Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Poipet gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Poipet or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Poipet 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, Poipet or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Poipet 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 Poipet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Poipet vs other spots: cost of living compared

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