Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boras and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,862 in Boras, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Boras
Learn more

Boras Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Boras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,862

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,862 in Boras versus $918 in Cebu.

Boras $1,862
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,190 in Boras versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Boras $2,190
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,519 in Boras versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Boras $2,519
Cebu $1,900

Living in Boras is roughly 103% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Boras is 38% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.85 SEK 127

$3.09 ₱194

315.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.2 SEK 894

$24.22 ₱1,525

272.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 SEK 97.6

$3.92 ₱247

151.28%

Cappuccino

$4.33 SEK 42.89

$2.51 ₱158

72.51%

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

$2.12 SEK 21.02

$1.59 ₱100

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 SEK 19.33

$0.53 ₱33.43

267.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 SEK 67.9

$1.78 ₱112

284.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 SEK 68.8

$2.17 ₱137

219.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 SEK 16.06

$1.92 ₱121

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 SEK 25.34

$1.36 ₱85.4

88.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 SEK 29.17

$1.01 ₱63.5

191.09%

Eggs

$4.53 SEK 44.88

$2.03 ₱128

123.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 SEK 123

$9.86 ₱621

26.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 SEK 115

$4.39 ₱277

164.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.46 SEK 153

$7.60 ₱479

103.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 SEK 30.72

$3.30 ₱208

-6.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 SEK 25.83

$1.39 ₱87.8

87.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 SEK 27.27

$2.33 ₱147

18.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 SEK 34.42

$1.50 ₱94.3

131.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 SEK 14.43

$2.36 ₱149

-38.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 SEK 13.41

$1.90 ₱119

-28.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 SEK 21.85

$1.19 ₱74.9

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 SEK 13.39

$0.63 ₱39.71

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 SEK 64.3

$3.00 ₱189

116.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 SEK 81.6

$6.03 ₱379

36.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SEK 17.65

$1.23 ₱77.7

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 SEK 16.08

$1.75 ₱110

-7.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 SEK 36.29

$0.25 ₱15.86

1364.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.5 SEK 748

$12.64 ₱796

496.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 SEK 49.83

$0.77 ₱48.62

553.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 SEK 10.64

$0.23 ₱14.53

365.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.70 SEK 403

$4.46 ₱281

812.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 SEK 17.55

$1.31 ₱82.8

35.11%

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

$25.3K SEK 250.5K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

19.02%

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

$15.2K SEK 150.9K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-20.45%

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

$58.6 SEK 580

$120 ₱7,569

-51.29%

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

$28.96 SEK 287

$14.00 ₱882

106.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.63 SEK 393

$27.54 ₱1,734

43.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.24 SEK 339

$32.33 ₱2,035

5.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.72 SEK 245

$6.65 ₱419

271.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 SEK 147

$5.65 ₱356

163.01%

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

$156 SEK 1,542

$275 ₱17.3K

-43.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.27 SEK 488

$49.33 ₱3,106

-0.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 SEK 502

$25.24 ₱1,589

100.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 SEK 778

$77.0 ₱4,846

2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SEK 998

$57.2 ₱3,601

76.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 SEK 8,540

$309 ₱19.4K

179.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,412 SEK 23.9K

$346 ₱21.8K

597.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

7.2

-33.33%

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

Last update for Boras: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boras

$862 46.3%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 64.2% $553

Groceries & Markets

Boras

$334 17.9%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 38.3% $128

Eating Out

Boras

$249 13.4%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 64.5% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boras

$127 6.8%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 27.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Boras

$126 6.8%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 25.2% $32

Getting Around

Boras

$101 5.4%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 84.5% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Boras

$64 3.4%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 31.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

Boras pays 597% 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: $90.0 in Boras vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Boras

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

16:16 4:16 PM

6 h ahead of Boras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,273

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boras Cebu 10,240 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Boras
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

Boras vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 597% higher in Boras, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $1,862 per month in Boras versus $918 in Cebu – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 497% less than in Boras. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cebu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Boras, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Boras 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 103% less than in Boras. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.