For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,128 in Falun, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
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 Falun actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $2,128 in Falun.
Cebu $915
Falun $2,128
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $3,204 in Falun.
Cebu $1,418
Falun $3,204
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $4,280 in Falun.
Cebu $1,921
Falun $4,280
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 57% less than in Falun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 33% below, Falun is 57% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Falun
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05₱192
$12.64SEK 125
-75.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.00₱1,511
$64.7SEK 641
-62.90%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.99₱251
$8.97SEK 88.9
-55.52%
Cappuccino
$2.50₱157
$4.23SEK 41.94
-40.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54₱97.1
$1.79SEK 17.75
-13.97%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50₱31.37
$2.00SEK 19.83
-75.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$7.08SEK 70.1
-74.86%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱136
$7.10SEK 70.3
-69.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Falun
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.00₱126
$1.37SEK 13.60
45.99%
White Bread(500g)
$1.37₱86.2
$2.87SEK 28.44
-52.26%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.03₱64.9
$4.05SEK 40.14
-74.57%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$4.53SEK 44.86
-55.19%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.20₱642
$12.92SEK 128
-21.05%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.45₱280
$10.03SEK 99.4
-55.63%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.67₱483
$17.17SEK 170
-55.33%
Apples(1kg)
$3.31₱208
$3.28SEK 32.45
0.91%
Banana(1kg)
$1.46₱91.8
$2.64SEK 26.15
-44.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.32₱146
$1.97SEK 19.53
17.77%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.49₱94.0
$4.66SEK 46.22
-68.03%
Potato(1kg)
$2.34₱147
$1.48SEK 14.63
58.11%
Onion(1kg)
$1.94₱122
$1.78SEK 17.61
8.99%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.16₱73.0
$2.25SEK 22.25
-48.44%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68₱42.89
$1.84SEK 18.21
-63.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99₱188
$7.28SEK 72.1
-58.93%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.24₱393
$10.11SEK 100
-38.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.3
$1.92SEK 18.98
-35.94%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73₱109
$2.26SEK 22.36
-23.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Falun
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.23₱14.36
$4.62SEK 45.81
-95.02%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.34₱777
$93.8SEK 929
-86.84%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.79₱49.96
$8.10SEK 80.2
-90.25%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.22₱13.86
$1.97SEK 19.49
-88.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.54₱286
$73.3SEK 726
-93.80%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.32₱82.9
$1.71SEK 16.93
-22.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K₱1.3M
$33.4KSEK 331.4K
-37.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K₱1.2M
$32.8KSEK 324.7K
-40.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Falun
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$119₱7,464
$132SEK 1,303
-9.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.22₱896
$27.70SEK 274
-48.66%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47₱1,730
$40.58SEK 402
-32.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Falun
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.31₱2,034
$66.7SEK 661
-51.56%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.50₱409
$26.12SEK 259
-75.11%
Cinema Ticket
$5.40₱340
$16.89SEK 167
-68.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Falun
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$276₱17.4K
$218SEK 2,161
26.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,866₱495.3K
$4,835SEK 47.9K
62.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Falun
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37₱3,108
$97.7SEK 968
-49.45%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.58₱1,548
$51.4SEK 509
-52.13%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.6₱4,825
$93.3SEK 924
-17.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9₱3,706
$203SEK 2,009
-70.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Falun
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$503₱31.7K
$1,200SEK 11.9K
-58.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$305₱19.2K
$900SEK 8,915
-66.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,075₱67.7K
$1,877SEK 18.6K
-42.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$632₱39.8K
$1,487SEK 14.7K
-57.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,870₱180.7K
$3,985SEK 39.5K
-27.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,877₱118.2K
$2,808SEK 27.8K
-33.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Falun
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$336₱21.1K
$2,842SEK 28.2K
-88.18%
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 19, 2026
Last update for Falun: October 17, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$305 33.3%
Falun
$900 42.3% ↑ 196%$595
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210 22.9%
Falun
$354 16.6% ↑ 68.9%$144
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$160 17.5%
Falun
$200 9.4% ↑ 24.7%$40
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.3%
Falun
$200 9.4% ↑ 113%$106
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Falun
$244 11.5% ↑ 178%$156
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$43 4.7%
Falun
$100 4.7% ↑ 133%$57
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$15 1.7%
Falun
$130 6.1% ↑ 760%$115
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$632 32.9%
Falun
$1.5K 34.7% ↑ 135%$855
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$491 25.6%
Falun
$819 19.1% ↑ 66.6%$327
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$174 9.1%
Falun
$228 5.3% ↑ 30.4%$53
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 10.9%
Falun
$445 10.4% ↑ 113%$236
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$290 15.1%
Falun
$805 18.8% ↑ 178%$515
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$93 4.8%
Falun
$227 5.3% ↑ 145%$134
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$31 1.6%
Falun
$270 6.3% ↑ 777%$239
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $1,200 in Falun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Falun pays 746% 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 Falun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $354 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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 Falun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Falun cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Falun?
On paper, salaries run 746% lower in Falun. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Falun?
Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $1,200 in Falun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Falun?
All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $2,128 in Falun – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 660% less than in Falun. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Falun?
At $915 in Cebu versus $2,128 in Falun, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Falun. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Falun more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Falun, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Falun?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Falun are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Falun. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.