Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Boras

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.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Boras
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Boras Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Boras

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,862

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Boras

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

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

Cebu $918
Boras $1,862

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

Cebu $1,409
Boras $2,190

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

Cebu $1,900
Boras $2,519

Living in Cebu costs roughly 51% less than in Boras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$12.85 SEK 127

-75.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$90.2 SEK 894

-73.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$9.85 SEK 97.6

-60.20%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.33 SEK 42.89

-42.03%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.12 SEK 21.02

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.95 SEK 19.33

-72.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.85 SEK 67.9

-74.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.94 SEK 68.8

-68.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.62 SEK 16.06

18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$2.56 SEK 25.34

-46.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.94 SEK 29.17

-65.65%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.53 SEK 44.88

-55.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$12.43 SEK 123

-20.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$11.63 SEK 115

-62.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$15.46 SEK 153

-50.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.10 SEK 30.72

6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.61 SEK 25.83

-46.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.75 SEK 27.27

-15.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$3.47 SEK 34.42

-56.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.46 SEK 14.43

61.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.35 SEK 13.41

40.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.21 SEK 21.85

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.35 SEK 13.39

-53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.49 SEK 64.3

-53.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$8.23 SEK 81.6

-26.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.78 SEK 17.65

-30.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.62 SEK 16.08

8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.66 SEK 36.29

-93.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$75.5 SEK 748

-83.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$5.03 SEK 49.83

-84.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.07 SEK 10.64

-78.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$40.70 SEK 403

-89.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.77 SEK 17.55

-25.99%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$25.3K SEK 250.5K

-15.98%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$15.2K SEK 150.9K

25.71%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$58.6 SEK 580

105.31%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$28.96 SEK 287

-51.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$39.63 SEK 393

-30.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$34.24 SEK 339

-5.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$24.72 SEK 245

-73.10%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$14.86 SEK 147

-61.98%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$156 SEK 1,542

76.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$49.27 SEK 488

0.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$50.7 SEK 502

-50.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$78.5 SEK 778

-2.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$101 SEK 998

-43.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$862 SEK 8,540

-64.17%

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)

$346 ₱21.8K

$2,412 SEK 23.9K

-85.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.8

50.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Boras: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Boras

$862 46.3% 179% $553

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Boras

$334 17.9% 62.1% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Boras

$127 6.8% 21.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Boras

$126 6.8% 33.8% $32

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Boras

$249 13.4% 182% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Boras

$64 3.4% 46.6% $20

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Boras

$101 5.4% 546% $85

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

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Boras

🕒 Local time

16:35 4:35 PM

10:35 10:35 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

66,273

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Boras 10,240 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Boras

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 Boras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 597% lower in Boras. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,862 in Boras – 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, Cebu and Boras 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.