Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bålsta and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,547 in Bålsta, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
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Bålsta Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,547

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,547 in Bålsta versus $918 in Cebu.

Bålsta $1,547
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,416 in Bålsta versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Bålsta $2,416
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,286 in Bålsta versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Bålsta $3,286
Cebu $1,900

Living in Bålsta is roughly 69% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bålsta is 15% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 SEK 137

$3.09 ₱194

346.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 SEK 645

$24.22 ₱1,525

168.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.62 SEK 85.5

$3.92 ₱247

119.90%

Cappuccino

$3.89 SEK 38.56

$2.51 ₱158

54.98%

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

$2.65 SEK 26.21

$1.59 ₱100

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 SEK 22.00

$0.53 ₱33.43

318.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 SEK 68.4

$1.78 ₱112

287.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 SEK 67.6

$2.17 ₱137

214.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 SEK 15.16

$1.92 ₱121

-20.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 SEK 20.04

$1.36 ₱85.4

48.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 SEK 35.31

$1.01 ₱63.5

252.48%

Eggs

$3.62 SEK 35.86

$2.03 ₱128

78.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 SEK 108

$9.86 ₱621

10.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 SEK 119

$4.39 ₱277

173.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.92 SEK 108

$7.60 ₱479

43.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 24.15

$3.30 ₱208

-26.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 SEK 25.30

$1.39 ₱87.8

83.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 SEK 19.13

$2.33 ₱147

-17.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 SEK 27.06

$1.50 ₱94.3

82.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SEK 14.42

$2.36 ₱149

-38.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 SEK 12.07

$1.90 ₱119

-35.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 SEK 14.94

$1.19 ₱74.9

26.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 SEK 9.70

$0.63 ₱39.71

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.18 SEK 71.2

$3.00 ₱189

139.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 SEK 96.5

$6.03 ₱379

61.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 SEK 15.16

$1.23 ₱77.7

24.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SEK 19.88

$1.75 ₱110

14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 SEK 31.62

$0.25 ₱15.86

1176.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 SEK 773

$12.64 ₱796

517.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 SEK 57.6

$0.77 ₱48.62

654.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 SEK 15.00

$0.23 ₱14.53

556.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.0 SEK 773

$4.46 ₱281

1648.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.37

$1.31 ₱82.8

33.59%

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

$32.9K SEK 325.8K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

54.79%

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

$32.0K SEK 317.3K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

67.26%

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

$49.58 SEK 491

$120 ₱7,569

-58.76%

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

$20.01 SEK 198

$14.00 ₱882

42.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.64 SEK 393

$27.54 ₱1,734

43.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.01 SEK 377

$32.33 ₱2,035

17.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.77 SEK 255

$6.65 ₱419

287.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 SEK 129

$5.65 ₱356

129.73%

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

$121 SEK 1,194

$275 ₱17.3K

-56.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,908 SEK 48.6K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-38.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 SEK 701

$49.33 ₱3,106

43.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.12 SEK 100

$25.24 ₱1,589

-59.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 SEK 803

$77.0 ₱4,846

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 SEK 1,087

$57.2 ₱3,601

91.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 SEK 7,862

$500 ₱31.5K

58.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 SEK 5,966

$309 ₱19.4K

94.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 SEK 13.5K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

26.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 SEK 10.1K

$615 ₱38.7K

64.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,972 SEK 39.4K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

37.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,805 SEK 27.8K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

46.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,866 SEK 38.3K

$346 ₱21.8K

1017.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.8

7.2

-61.11%

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

Last update for Bålsta: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bålsta

$602 38.9%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 48.7% $293

Groceries & Markets

Bålsta

$294 19%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 30.1% $89

Eating Out

Bålsta

$251 16.2%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 64.8% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Bålsta

$122 7.9%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 23.2% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bålsta

$109 7.1%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 48.1% $53

Getting Around

Bålsta

$104 6.7%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 85.1% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Bålsta

$64 4.1%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 31.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Bålsta and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 1018% 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: $65.0 in Bålsta vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

16:16 4:16 PM

6 h ahead of Bålsta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,138

964,169

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 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).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bålsta Cebu 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Bålsta
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

Bålsta vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Bålsta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cebu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1018% higher in Bålsta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $794 in Bålsta versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,547 per month in Bålsta versus $918 in Cebu – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 517% less than in Bålsta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,547 in Bålsta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Bålsta. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cebu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $918 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cebu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bålsta 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 Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Bålsta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.