Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yala and Cebu

For one person, living costs are similar in Yala and in Cebu: $895 and $915 a month, rent and utilities included.

44

Cost of Living Index in Yala
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Yala Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index

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Yala

🇹🇭 Thailand

$895

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $895 in Yala versus $915 in Cebu.

Yala $895
Cebu $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,487 in Yala versus $1,418 in Cebu.

Yala $1,487
Cebu $1,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,079 in Yala versus $1,921 in Cebu.

Yala $2,079
Cebu $1,921

Living in Yala costs roughly 2% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yala 34% lower, Cebu 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.51 ฿50.3

$3.05 ₱192

-50.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.70 ฿825

$24.00 ₱1,511

2.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 ฿225

$3.99 ₱251

68.67%

Cappuccino

$1.92 ฿64.0

$2.50 ₱157

-23.20%

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

$0.56 ฿18.76

$1.54 ₱97.1

-63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ฿5.42

$0.50 ₱31.37

-68.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 ฿63.4

$1.78 ₱112

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.17 ₱136

52.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ฿51.3

$2.00 ₱126

-23.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ฿40.90

$1.37 ₱86.2

-10.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.51

$1.03 ₱64.9

29.13%

Eggs

$1.79 ฿59.7

$2.03 ₱128

-11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.29 ฿611

$10.20 ₱642

79.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 ฿98.8

$4.45 ₱280

-33.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 ฿309

$7.67 ₱483

20.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 ฿101

$3.31 ₱208

-8.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 ฿37.97

$1.46 ₱91.8

-21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ฿69.7

$2.32 ₱146

-9.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿65.3

$1.49 ₱94.0

30.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 ฿52.3

$2.34 ₱147

-32.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ฿32.44

$1.94 ₱122

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 ฿39.17

$1.16 ₱73.0

0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿17.62

$0.68 ₱42.89

-22.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 ฿163

$2.99 ₱188

62.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.33 ฿546

$6.24 ₱393

161.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ฿54.8

$1.23 ₱77.3

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 ฿86.2

$1.73 ₱109

49.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ฿20.44

$0.23 ₱14.36

165.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 ฿37.42

$0.79 ₱49.96

41.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 ฿43.70

$0.22 ₱13.86

495.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 ฿215

$4.54 ₱286

41.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ฿47.43

$1.32 ₱82.9

7.58%

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

$26.5K ฿887.0K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

26.36%

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

$26.5K ฿887.1K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

36.80%

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

$85.4 ฿2,853

$119 ₱7,464

-27.99%

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

$11.99 ฿401

$14.22 ₱896

-15.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.46 ฿650

$27.47 ₱1,730

-29.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.07 ฿1,473

$32.31 ₱2,034

36.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.69 ฿458

$6.50 ₱409

110.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.63 ฿222

$5.40 ₱340

22.78%

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

$589 ฿19.7K

$276 ₱17.4K

113.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿376.2K

$7,866 ₱495.3K

43.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.88 ฿1,533

$49.37 ₱3,108

-7.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 ฿1,079

$24.58 ₱1,548

31.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 ฿2,592

$76.6 ₱4,825

1.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 ฿2,704

$58.9 ₱3,706

37.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 ฿15.9K

$503 ₱31.7K

-5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ฿9,662

$305 ₱19.2K

-5.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 ฿39.1K

$1,075 ₱67.7K

8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 ฿25.4K

$632 ₱39.8K

20.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,762 ฿58.9K

$2,870 ₱180.7K

-38.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,405 ฿46.9K

$1,877 ₱118.2K

-25.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.2

-22.64%

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

Last update for Yala: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Yala

$289 32.3%

Cebu

$305 33.3% 5.3% $15

Groceries & Markets

Yala

$241 26.9%

Cebu

$210 22.9% 13.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yala

$117 13.1%

Cebu

$160 17.5% 37.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Yala

$106 11.9%

Cebu

$94 10.3% 11.5% $12

Eating Out

Yala

$74 8.3%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 18.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Yala

$57 6.4%

Cebu

$43 4.7% 24.8% $14

Getting Around

Yala

$10 * 1.1%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 50% $5.1

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 $475 in Yala and $503 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Yala vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $241 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Yala

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

00:52 12:52 AM

1 h ahead of Yala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,617

964,169

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Yala Cebu 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Yala
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

Yala vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yala is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,343 in Yala and $1,372 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $475 in Yala versus $503 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cebu pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $895 per month in Yala versus $915 in Cebu – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Yala gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Yala 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, Yala 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 Yala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.