Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Gavle

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,422 in Gavle, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
69

Cost of Living Index in Gavle
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Gavle Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Gavle

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Gavle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,422 in Gavle.

Cebu $918
Gavle $1,422

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,261 in Gavle.

Cebu $1,409
Gavle $2,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,101 in Gavle.

Cebu $1,900
Gavle $3,101

Living in Cebu costs roughly 35% less than in Gavle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Gavle is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$13.57 SEK 134

-77.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$78.8 SEK 781

-69.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$9.47 SEK 93.8

-58.61%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.43 SEK 43.85

-43.34%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.96 SEK 19.45

-18.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.95 SEK 19.36

-72.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$7.79 SEK 77.2

-77.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$7.86 SEK 77.9

-72.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.67 SEK 16.56

14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$2.60 SEK 25.75

-47.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.80 SEK 37.61

-73.42%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.81 SEK 37.79

-46.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$9.46 SEK 93.7

4.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$10.38 SEK 103

-57.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$18.60 SEK 184

-59.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.11 SEK 30.78

6.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.84 SEK 28.13

-51.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.19 SEK 31.61

-26.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.45 SEK 44.08

-66.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.74 SEK 17.21

35.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.71 SEK 16.99

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.47 SEK 24.49

-51.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.94 SEK 19.21

-67.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$8.03 SEK 79.5

-62.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$11.16 SEK 111

-45.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.56 SEK 15.50

-21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.53 SEK 15.14

14.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.17 SEK 31.38

-92.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$58.4 SEK 578

-78.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$4.44 SEK 43.98

-82.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.45 SEK 14.41

-84.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$33.41 SEK 331

-86.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.79 SEK 17.71

-26.82%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$26.3K SEK 260.5K

-19.21%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$28.3K SEK 280.4K

-32.34%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$54.0 SEK 535

122.52%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$21.30 SEK 211

-34.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$39.32 SEK 390

-29.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$47.80 SEK 474

-32.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$15.06 SEK 149

-62.48%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$130 SEK 1,289

111.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$14.9K SEK 147.4K

-46.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$68.5 SEK 679

-28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$58.6 SEK 580

-56.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$50.1 SEK 497

53.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$88.6 SEK 878

-35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$560 SEK 5,547

-10.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$415 SEK 4,109

-25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$767 SEK 7,600

40.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$647 SEK 6,411

-4.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$1,875 SEK 18.6K

53.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$1,327 SEK 13.1K

44.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,114 SEK 30.9K

-88.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.37

113.65%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gavle: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Gavle

$415 29.2% 34.3% $106

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Gavle

$352 24.7% 70.9% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Gavle

$115 8.1% 29.1% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Gavle

$120 8.4% 27.4% $26

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Gavle

$260 18.3% 195% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Gavle

$78 5.5% 78.6% $34

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Gavle

$83 5.8% 431% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $560 in Gavle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 800% 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 $79.0 in Gavle for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $352 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Gavle

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

100,000

💱 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 Gavle 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Gavle

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 Gavle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 800% lower in Gavle. 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 $560 in Gavle. 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 $1,422 in Gavle – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 362% less than in Gavle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,422 in Gavle, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gavle. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Gavle, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Gavle 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 55% less than in Gavle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.