Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Bålsta

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.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Bålsta
Learn more

Bålsta Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Bålsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Bålsta

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 Bålsta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Cebu $918
Bålsta $1,547

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

Cebu $1,409
Bålsta $2,416

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

Cebu $1,900
Bålsta $3,286

Living in Cebu costs roughly 41% less than in Bålsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$13.80 SEK 137

-77.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$65.1 SEK 645

-62.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$8.62 SEK 85.5

-54.52%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.89 SEK 38.56

-35.48%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.65 SEK 26.21

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$2.22 SEK 22.00

-76.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.90 SEK 68.4

-74.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.82 SEK 67.6

-68.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.53 SEK 15.16

25.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$2.02 SEK 20.04

-32.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.56 SEK 35.31

-71.63%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.62 SEK 35.86

-43.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$10.93 SEK 108

-9.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$12.00 SEK 119

-63.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$10.92 SEK 108

-30.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.44 SEK 24.15

35.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.55 SEK 25.30

-45.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.93 SEK 19.13

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$2.73 SEK 27.06

-45.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.46 SEK 14.42

61.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.22 SEK 12.07

55.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.51 SEK 14.94

-21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.98 SEK 9.70

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$7.18 SEK 71.2

-58.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$9.74 SEK 96.5

-38.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.53 SEK 15.16

-19.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.01 SEK 19.88

-12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.19 SEK 31.62

-92.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$78.0 SEK 773

-83.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$5.81 SEK 57.6

-86.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.51 SEK 15.00

-84.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$78.0 SEK 773

-94.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.75 SEK 17.37

-25.14%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$32.9K SEK 325.8K

-35.40%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.0K SEK 317.3K

-40.21%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$49.58 SEK 491

142.50%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$20.01 SEK 198

-30.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$39.64 SEK 393

-30.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$38.01 SEK 377

-14.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$25.77 SEK 255

-74.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$12.98 SEK 129

-56.47%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$121 SEK 1,194

128.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$4,908 SEK 48.6K

61.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$70.8 SEK 701

-30.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$10.12 SEK 100

149.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$81.0 SEK 803

-5.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$110 SEK 1,087

-47.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$794 SEK 7,862

-37.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$602 SEK 5,966

-48.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,359 SEK 13.5K

-20.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,014 SEK 10.1K

-39.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$3,972 SEK 39.4K

-27.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,805 SEK 27.8K

-31.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,866 SEK 38.3K

-91.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.8

157.14%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Bålsta

$602 38.9% 95% $293

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Bålsta

$294 19% 43% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Bålsta

$109 7.1% 32.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Bålsta

$122 7.9% 30.1% $28

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Bålsta

$251 16.2% 184% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Bålsta

$64 4.1% 46.6% $20

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Bålsta

$104 6.7% 569% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $794 in Bålsta. 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: $24.00 in Cebu vs $65.0 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $294 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Bålsta

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

11:05 11:05 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

13,138

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

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).

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).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Bålsta 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Bålsta

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 Bålsta: 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.

On paper, salaries run 1018% lower in Bålsta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,547 in Bålsta – 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, Cebu and Bålsta 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.