Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Siem Reap and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Siem Reap: $806 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Siem Reap
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$806
/mo nomad
Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in Siem Reap versus $918 in Cebu.

  • Siem Reap $806
  • Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,247 in Siem Reap versus $1,409 in Cebu.

  • Siem Reap $1,247
  • Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,689 in Siem Reap versus $1,900 in Cebu.

  • Siem Reap $1,689
  • Cebu $1,900

Living in Siem Reap costs roughly 12% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Siem Reap 40% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.43 ៛9,884
$3.09 ₱194
-21.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.16 ៛98.1K
$24.22 ₱1,525
-0.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.81 ៛31.7K
$3.92 ₱247
99.23%
Cappuccino
$1.69 ៛6,857
$2.51 ₱158
-32.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ៛2,854
$1.59 ₱100
-55.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 ៛1,746
$0.53 ₱33.43
-18.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.02 ៛4,148
$1.78 ₱112
-42.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.98 ៛8,045
$2.17 ₱137
-8.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 ៛8,687
$1.92 ₱121
11.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 ៛7,159
$1.36 ₱85.4
29.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.87 ៛3,540
$1.01 ₱63.5
-13.86%
Eggs
$1.72 ៛6,979
$2.03 ₱128
-15.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.24 ៛61.9K
$9.86 ₱621
54.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.84 ៛11.5K
$4.39 ₱277
-35.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.20 ៛41.5K
$7.60 ₱479
34.21%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 ៛17.6K
$3.30 ₱208
31.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.23 ៛5,008
$1.39 ₱87.8
-11.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.68 ៛14.9K
$2.33 ₱147
57.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 ៛4,431
$1.50 ₱94.3
-27.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 ៛5,415
$2.36 ₱149
-43.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 ៛4,534
$1.90 ₱119
-41.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 ៛5,262
$1.19 ₱74.9
9.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ៛3,227
$0.63 ₱39.71
25.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.41 ៛5,709
$3.00 ₱189
-53.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.75 ៛31.5K
$6.03 ₱379
28.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 ៛4,051
$1.23 ₱77.7
-18.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 ៛9,162
$1.75 ₱110
29.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.97 ៛3,949
$0.25 ₱15.86
288.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$15.14 ៛61.5K
$12.64 ₱796
19.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 ៛8,169
$0.77 ₱48.62
161.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ៛4,103
$0.23 ₱14.53
339.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.99 ៛20.3K
$4.46 ₱281
11.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ៛5,310
$1.31 ₱82.8
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K ៛100.7M
$21.2K ₱1.3M
16.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.7K ៛92.2M
$19.1K ₱1.2M
18.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$103 ៛417.4K
$120 ₱7,569
-14.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.82 ៛23.6K
$14.00 ₱882
-58.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$15.37 ៛62.4K
$27.54 ₱1,734
-44.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.20 ៛134.8K
$32.33 ₱2,035
2.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.27 ៛57.9K
$6.65 ₱419
114.59%
Cinema Ticket
$4.97 ៛20.2K
$5.65 ₱356
-12.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$283 ៛1.2M
$275 ₱17.3K
2.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,488 ៛18.2M
$7,918 ₱498.5K
-43.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.69 ៛108.4K
$49.33 ₱3,106
-45.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.31 ៛54.0K
$25.24 ₱1,589
-47.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$68.5 ៛278.3K
$77.0 ₱4,846
-10.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$45.31 ៛184.1K
$57.2 ₱3,601
-20.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$329 ៛1.3M
$500 ₱31.5K
-34.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$232 ៛940.8K
$309 ₱19.4K
-25.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$669 ៛2.7M
$1,078 ₱67.9K
-37.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$434 ៛1.8M
$615 ₱38.7K
-29.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,454 ៛10.0M
$2,886 ₱181.7K
-14.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,099 ៛4.5M
$1,917 ₱120.7K
-42.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Siem Reap
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$239 ៛969.1K
$346 ₱21.8K
-31.04%
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 Siem Reap: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Siem Reap
$235
Cebu
$206 12.4% $29
Accommodation & Living
Siem Reap
$232
Cebu
$309 33.3% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siem Reap
$124
Cebu
$162 30.5% $38
Eating Out
Siem Reap
$77
Cebu
$88 15% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Siem Reap
$69
Cebu
$94 35.7% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Siem Reap
$43
Cebu
$44 1.1% $0.5
Getting Around
Siem Reap
$26
Cebu
$16 40.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $329 in Siem Reap and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 45% 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: $24.00 in Siem Reap vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $206, with Cebu cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇰🇭 Siem Reap
🇵🇭 Cebu
🕒 Local time
14:39 2:39 PM
15:39 3:39 PM
1 h ahead of Siem Reap
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
171,800
964,169
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to KHR – Cambodian Riel Converter

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 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
  • Siem Reap Cebu 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Siem Reap
  • 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
Siem Reap vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Siem Reap?
Siem Reap is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Siem Reap or Cebu?
On paper, salaries run 45% 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.
What is the rent difference between Siem Reap and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $329 in Siem Reap versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Siem Reap and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $806 per month in Siem Reap versus $918 in Cebu – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Siem Reap runs roughly 20% less than in Cebu. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $800 enough for either Siem Reap or Cebu?
Either city works on $800 a month, though Siem Reap gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Siem Reap or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Siem Reap 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, Siem Reap or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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