Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ratchaburi and Cebu

For one person, living costs are similar in Ratchaburi and in Cebu: $944 and $918 a month, rent and utilities included.

Ratchaburi
🇹🇭 Thailand
$944
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $944 in Ratchaburi versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Ratchaburi $944
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Ratchaburi versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Ratchaburi $1,573
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,202 in Ratchaburi versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Ratchaburi $2,202
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Ratchaburi is roughly 3% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ratchaburi 30% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.59 ฿120
$3.09 ₱194
16.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.96 ฿1,202
$24.22 ₱1,525
48.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.10 ฿304
$3.92 ₱247
132.14%
Cappuccino
$2.04 ฿68.1
$2.51 ₱158
-18.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 ฿24.78
$1.59 ₱100
-53.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 ฿9.93
$0.53 ₱33.43
-43.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.31 ฿77.2
$1.78 ₱112
29.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 ฿88.8
$2.17 ₱137
22.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 ฿59.6
$1.92 ₱121
-7.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 ฿47.98
$1.36 ₱85.4
5.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 ฿46.38
$1.01 ₱63.5
37.62%
Eggs
$2.22 ฿74.1
$2.03 ₱128
9.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.32 ฿512
$9.86 ₱621
55.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.56 ฿85.7
$4.39 ₱277
-41.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.00 ฿334
$7.60 ₱479
31.58%
Apples (1kg)
$3.48 ฿116
$3.30 ₱208
5.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 ฿40.35
$1.39 ₱87.8
-12.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 ฿64.1
$2.33 ₱147
-17.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 ฿63.8
$1.50 ₱94.3
27.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 ฿40.07
$2.36 ₱149
-49.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 ฿36.40
$1.90 ₱119
-42.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ฿40.84
$1.19 ₱74.9
2.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.45 ฿14.99
$0.63 ₱39.71
-28.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 ฿144
$3.00 ₱189
43.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.87 ฿597
$6.03 ₱379
196.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 ฿58.8
$1.23 ₱77.7
43.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 ฿96.8
$1.75 ₱110
65.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.92 ฿30.82
$0.25 ₱15.86
268.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$12.64 ₱796
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.38 ฿46.08
$0.77 ₱48.62
79.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 ฿37.58
$0.23 ₱14.53
386.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.60 ฿120
$4.46 ₱281
-19.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 ฿50.4
$1.31 ₱82.8
15.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$46.1K ฿1.5M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
117.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿899.0K
$19.1K ₱1.2M
40.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.9 ฿3,037
$120 ₱7,569
-24.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.58 ฿387
$14.00 ₱882
-17.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.18 ฿641
$27.54 ₱1,734
-30.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.61 ฿1,558
$32.33 ₱2,035
44.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.27 ฿477
$6.65 ₱419
114.59%
Cinema Ticket
$7.49 ฿250
$5.65 ₱356
32.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$628 ฿21.0K
$275 ₱17.3K
128.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.3K ฿477.1K
$7,918 ₱498.5K
80.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 ฿1,686
$49.33 ₱3,106
2.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.47 ฿985
$25.24 ₱1,589
16.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.9 ฿3,138
$77.0 ₱4,846
21.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.8 ฿2,501
$57.2 ₱3,601
30.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$441 ฿14.7K
$500 ₱31.5K
-11.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$293 ฿9,777
$309 ₱19.4K
-5.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,387 ฿46.3K
$1,078 ₱67.9K
28.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$615 ₱38.7K
19.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,969 ฿65.8K
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-31.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,584 ฿52.9K
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-17.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ratchaburi
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$346 ₱21.8K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
7.2
-17.22%

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

Last update for Ratchaburi: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ratchaburi
$293
Cebu
$309 5.6% $16
Groceries & Markets
Ratchaburi
$244
Cebu
$206 15.5% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ratchaburi
$122
Cebu
$162 33% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Ratchaburi
$112
Cebu
$94 16.1% $18
Eating Out
Ratchaburi
$102
Cebu
$88 13.1% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Ratchaburi
$62
Cebu
$44 29.2% $18
Getting Around
Ratchaburi
$11 *
Cebu
$16 45.7% $4.9

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 $441 in Ratchaburi and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ratchaburi vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Ratchaburi
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
02:22 2:22 AM
03:22 3:22 AM
1 h ahead of Ratchaburi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,208
964,169
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ratchaburi Cebu 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ratchaburi
  • 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
Ratchaburi vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Ratchaburi?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,415 in Ratchaburi 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.
What is the rent difference between Ratchaburi and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $441 in Ratchaburi versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Ratchaburi and in Cebu?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Ratchaburi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Ratchaburi and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $944 per month in Ratchaburi versus $918 in Cebu – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ratchaburi or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $944 in Ratchaburi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Ratchaburi. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ratchaburi or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ratchaburi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Ratchaburi or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Ratchaburi 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Ratchaburi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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