Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Asker

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,730 in Asker, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Asker
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Asker Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Asker

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Asker

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Asker actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $2,730 in Asker, rent included.

Cebu $918
Asker $2,730

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $3,897 in Asker, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Asker $3,897

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $5,063 in Asker, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Asker $5,063

Cebu is about 66% cheaper than Asker, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cebu sits 32% below the global median, while Asker is 102% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$20.75 NOK 195

-85.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$63.2 NOK 595

-61.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$12.46 NOK 117

-68.54%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$5.79 NOK 54.5

-56.65%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.83 NOK 26.62

-43.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.87 NOK 17.56

-71.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$11.87 NOK 112

-85.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$11.51 NOK 108

-81.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.22 NOK 20.94

-13.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$3.27 NOK 30.78

-58.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.71 NOK 34.90

-72.78%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.50 NOK 32.90

-42.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$3.75 NOK 35.28

162.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$11.51 NOK 108

-61.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$8.23 NOK 77.5

-7.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.35 NOK 31.55

-1.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.70 NOK 25.37

-48.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.38 NOK 31.82

-31.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.41 NOK 41.54

-65.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.63 NOK 24.80

-10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$2.91 NOK 27.38

-34.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.56 NOK 14.67

-23.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$2.15 NOK 20.22

-70.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$18.68 NOK 176

-83.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$16.39 NOK 154

-63.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$3.46 NOK 32.58

-64.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$4.34 NOK 40.90

-59.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$4.58 NOK 43.08

-94.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$81.2 NOK 764

-84.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$11.78 NOK 111

-93.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.81 NOK 17.04

-87.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$70.3 NOK 661

-93.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.24 NOK 21.11

-41.52%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$48.9K NOK 460.2K

-56.55%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$45.0K NOK 423.3K

-57.42%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$409 NOK 3,854

-70.64%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$31.46 NOK 296

-55.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$31.82 NOK 300

-13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$49.21 NOK 463

-34.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$36.05 NOK 339

-81.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$15.80 NOK 149

-64.24%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$232 NOK 2,180

18.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$15.5K NOK 145.7K

-48.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$98.6 NOK 929

-49.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$58.6 NOK 552

-56.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$132 NOK 1,240

-41.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$158 NOK 1,487

-63.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$1,497 NOK 14.1K

-66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,131 NOK 10.6K

-72.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$2,117 NOK 19.9K

-49.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,821 NOK 17.1K

-66.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$6,073 NOK 57.2K

-52.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$4,145 NOK 39.0K

-53.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,876 NOK 36.5K

-91.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.87

86.05%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Asker: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Asker

$1.1K 41.4% 266% $822

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Asker

$350 12.8% 70.1% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Asker

$473 17.3% 192% $311

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Asker

$201 7.4% 114% $107

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Asker

$374 13.7% 324% $286

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Asker

$81 3% 85.3% $37

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Asker

$120 4.4% 673% $105

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $1,497 in Asker. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1020% higher in Asker, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Cebu versus $63.0 in Asker. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $350 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇴 Asker

🕒 Local time

01:18 1:18 AM

19:18 7:18 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

99,214

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Asker 10,280 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Asker

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

Cebu vs Asker: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asker costs about 197% more than Cebu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $4,095 in Asker. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cebu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cebu and $232 in Asker. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 70% more in Asker, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Asker at $2,730. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Asker it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cebu costs $918 versus $2,730 in Asker. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cebu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Asker makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.