Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Grimstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,129 in Grimstad, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Grimstad
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Grimstad Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Grimstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,129

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Grimstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $2,129 in Grimstad.

Cebu $918
Grimstad $2,129

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $3,634 in Grimstad.

Cebu $1,409
Grimstad $3,634

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $5,140 in Grimstad.

Cebu $1,900
Grimstad $5,140

Living in Cebu costs roughly 57% less than in Grimstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Grimstad is 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$21.22 NOK 200

-85.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$77.1 NOK 726

-68.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$15.35 NOK 145

-74.46%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.81 NOK 45.27

-47.82%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$4.08 NOK 38.42

-61.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$3.37 NOK 31.72

-84.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$11.48 NOK 108

-84.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$10.48 NOK 98.7

-79.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.54 NOK 23.91

-24.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$3.63 NOK 34.17

-62.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.11 NOK 29.32

-67.52%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.54 NOK 33.34

-42.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$12.95 NOK 122

-23.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$14.02 NOK 132

-68.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$24.27 NOK 228

-68.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.03 NOK 19.15

62.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.36 NOK 22.26

-41.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.44 NOK 32.37

-32.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.28 NOK 40.26

-64.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.77 NOK 26.06

-14.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$2.81 NOK 26.49

-32.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$3.08 NOK 28.97

-61.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.87 NOK 17.63

-66.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$18.68 NOK 176

-83.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$15.63 NOK 147

-61.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$3.42 NOK 32.24

-64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$4.17 NOK 39.21

-58.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$5.31 NOK 49.98

-95.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$90.9 NOK 855

-86.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$11.86 NOK 112

-93.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.85 NOK 17.40

-87.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$69.8 NOK 657

-93.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.33 NOK 21.89

-43.78%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$48.5K NOK 456.8K

-56.22%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$43.9K NOK 413.5K

-56.42%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$301 NOK 2,837

-60.11%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$33.76 NOK 318

-58.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$54.1 NOK 509

-49.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$41.35 NOK 389

-21.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$15.75 NOK 148

-64.13%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$233 NOK 2,191

18.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$15.7K NOK 147.6K

-49.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$95.6 NOK 900

-48.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$52.3 NOK 492

-51.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$106 NOK 996

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$157 NOK 1,478

-63.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$876 NOK 8,245

-42.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$532 NOK 5,006

-41.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,926 NOK 18.1K

-44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,749 NOK 16.5K

-64.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$4,591 NOK 43.2K

-37.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$3,358 NOK 31.6K

-42.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$4,349 NOK 40.9K

-92.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.9

46.94%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Grimstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Grimstad

$532 25% 72.2% $223

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Grimstad

$435 20.4% 111% $229

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Grimstad

$389 18.3% 141% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Grimstad

$185 8.7% 96.7% $91

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Grimstad

$382 17.9% 333% $293

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Grimstad

$73 3.4% 67% $29

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Grimstad

$133 6.3% 756% $118

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $876 in Grimstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grimstad pays 1157% 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 $77.0 in Grimstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $435 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇴 Grimstad

🕒 Local time

23:20 11:20 PM

17:20 5:20 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

25,093

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cebu Grimstad 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Grimstad

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 Grimstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1157% lower in Grimstad. 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 $876 in Grimstad. 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 $2,129 in Grimstad – a 132% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 619% less than in Grimstad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,129 in Grimstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Grimstad. 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 Grimstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Grimstad 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 132% less than in Grimstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.