Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Boden

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,775 in Boden, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Boden
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Boden Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Boden

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Boden

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

A single person spends $918 per month in Cebu vs $1,775 in Boden, rent included.

Cebu $918
Boden $1,775

A couple spends around $1,409 per month in Cebu vs $2,778 in Boden, rent included.

Cebu $1,409
Boden $2,778

A family of three spends $1,900 per month in Cebu vs $3,781 in Boden, rent included.

Cebu $1,900
Boden $3,781

Cebu is about 48% cheaper than Boden, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$18.90 SEK 187

-83.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$78.0 SEK 772

-68.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$10.10 SEK 100

-61.19%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.40 SEK 43.60

-42.95%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.61 SEK 15.96

-1.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$2.15 SEK 21.32

-75.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.92 SEK 68.6

-74.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$7.82 SEK 77.5

-72.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.46 SEK 14.50

31.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$2.38 SEK 23.54

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.48 SEK 34.51

-70.98%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.23 SEK 41.96

-52.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$12.07 SEK 120

-18.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$11.93 SEK 118

-63.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$17.21 SEK 171

-55.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.98 SEK 29.57

10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.51 SEK 24.88

-44.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.89 SEK 28.64

-19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.62 SEK 45.79

-67.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.59 SEK 15.79

48.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.64 SEK 16.21

15.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.20 SEK 21.80

-45.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.42 SEK 14.05

-55.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$10.12 SEK 100

-70.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$10.00 SEK 99.1

-39.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.97 SEK 19.57

-37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.26 SEK 22.39

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.36 SEK 33.31

-92.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$73.1 SEK 724

-82.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$5.86 SEK 58.1

-86.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.81 SEK 17.92

-87.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$49.99 SEK 495

-91.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.93 SEK 19.10

-32.12%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$25.0K SEK 248.0K

-15.12%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.1K SEK 318.6K

-40.45%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$105 SEK 1,037

14.88%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$23.26 SEK 230

-39.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$39.54 SEK 392

-30.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$57.5 SEK 570

-43.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$20.15 SEK 200

-67.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$12.31 SEK 122

-54.10%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$154 SEK 1,524

79.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,671 SEK 56.2K

39.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$92.7 SEK 918

-46.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$40.16 SEK 398

-37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$89.5 SEK 887

-14.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$136 SEK 1,346

-57.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$908 SEK 9,000

-45.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$614 SEK 6,083

-49.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,321 SEK 13.1K

-18.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,030 SEK 10.2K

-40.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$3,908 SEK 38.7K

-26.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,586 SEK 25.6K

-25.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,774 SEK 37.4K

-90.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.4

111.76%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Boden: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Boden

$614 34.6% 98.8% $305

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Boden

$350 19.7% 69.8% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Boden

$167 9.4% 3.5% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Boden

$161 9.1% 71.6% $67

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Boden

$300 16.9% 239% $211

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Boden

$82 4.6% 88.2% $38

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Boden

$101 5.7% 551% $86

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Cebu versus $908 in Boden. 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 991% higher in Boden, 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 $78.0 in Boden. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $206 vs $350 – making Cebu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Boden

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

15:05 3:05 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

18,680

💱 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 Boden 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Boden

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 Boden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Boden is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,377 per month in Cebu and $2,663 in Boden. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $918 in Cebu and $1,775 in Boden. That's a gap of about 93%.

Public transport costs about 478% less in Cebu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cebu, where all-in costs run around $918, than in Boden at $1,775. In Cebu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boden it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cebu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Boden makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.