Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pyongyang and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Pyongyang: $426 a month against $934 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

12

Cost of Living Index in Pyongyang
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Pyongyang Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Pyongyang

🇰🇵 North Korea

$426

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Pyongyang versus $934 in Cebu.

Pyongyang $426
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $696 in Pyongyang versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Pyongyang $696
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $965 in Pyongyang versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Pyongyang $965
Cebu $1,896

Living in Pyongyang costs roughly 54% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pyongyang 68% lower, Cebu 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 $4.93

$3.03 ₱191

62.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.47 $36.47

$23.48 ₱1,476

55.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.96 $21.96

$4.09 ₱257

436.92%

Cappuccino

$1.13 $1.13

$2.52 ₱158

-55.16%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.54 ₱97.2

42.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.49 ₱31.06

161.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.69 $13.69

$1.79 ₱113

664.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.26 ₱142

113.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.95 ₱122

-52.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.43 ₱89.9

65.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.02 ₱64.0

-10.78%

Eggs

$2.08 $2.08

$2.06 ₱129

0.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱617

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱290

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱484

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱91.2

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.6

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.3

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.26

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱399

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱82.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱272

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.7

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

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

$121 ₱7,583

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

$14.45 ₱909

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,779

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.9 $75.9

$32.68 ₱2,055

132.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱402

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱343

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

$273 ₱17.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱512.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,117

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,564

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,817

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,727

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.0 $91.0

$506 ₱31.8K

-82.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 $89.7

$309 ₱19.5K

-71.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 $135

$619 ₱38.9K

-78.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱183.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$250 $250

$341 ₱21.5K

-26.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

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

Last update for Pyongyang: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Pyongyang

$211 50%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 58.1% $122

Accommodation & Living

Pyongyang

$90 21.3%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 245% $220

Sport & Entertainment

Pyongyang

$76 * 18%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 42.5% $32

Groceries & Markets

Pyongyang

$45 * 10.7%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 369% $165

Getting Around

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Pyongyang

- * 0%

Cebu

$95 10.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $91.0 in Pyongyang and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 36% 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: $36.00 in Pyongyang vs $23.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $45.00 vs $210, with Pyongyang cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇰🇵 Pyongyang

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:52 10:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

1 h behind Pyongyang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,255,288 Capital

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Pyongyang Cebu 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pyongyang
Cebu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated June 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Pyongyang vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pyongyang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and utilities. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% 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: $91.0 in Pyongyang versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 369% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pyongyang – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $23.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Pyongyang gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Pyongyang 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, Pyongyang 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 Pyongyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.