Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Halmstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,605 in Halmstad, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Halmstad
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Halmstad Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Halmstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Halmstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,605 in Halmstad.

Cebu $918
Halmstad $1,605

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,504 in Halmstad.

Cebu $1,409
Halmstad $2,504

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,402 in Halmstad.

Cebu $1,900
Halmstad $3,402

Living in Cebu costs roughly 43% less than in Halmstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Halmstad is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$12.90 SEK 128

-76.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$70.8 SEK 701

-65.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$11.37 SEK 113

-65.52%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.57 SEK 45.23

-45.08%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.89 SEK 28.61

-44.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$2.24 SEK 22.16

-76.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.88 SEK 68.2

-74.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$7.36 SEK 72.9

-70.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.47 SEK 14.57

30.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$2.48 SEK 24.56

-45.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.21 SEK 31.76

-68.54%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.31 SEK 32.78

-38.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$11.24 SEK 111

-12.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.98 SEK 88.9

-51.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$16.16 SEK 160

-52.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.11 SEK 30.78

6.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.52 SEK 24.92

-44.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.85 SEK 28.22

-18.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.07 SEK 40.35

-63.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.53 SEK 15.12

54.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.52 SEK 15.06

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.95 SEK 19.30

-38.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.94 SEK 9.33

-32.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.44 SEK 63.9

-53.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$10.43 SEK 103

-42.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$2.11 SEK 20.86

-41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.16 SEK 21.43

-18.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$2.74 SEK 27.13

-90.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$65.6 SEK 650

-80.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$6.18 SEK 61.2

-87.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.72 SEK 17.03

-86.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$58.5 SEK 580

-92.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.72 SEK 17.09

-23.84%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$32.4K SEK 320.8K

-34.39%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.9K SEK 325.9K

-41.78%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$105 SEK 1,040

14.53%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$19.69 SEK 195

-28.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$33.06 SEK 328

-16.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$34.63 SEK 343

-6.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$16.16 SEK 160

-65.04%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$152 SEK 1,505

81.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$4,398 SEK 43.6K

80.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$88.7 SEK 879

-44.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$32.41 SEK 321

-22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$87.3 SEK 865

-11.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$130 SEK 1,286

-55.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$571 SEK 5,661

-12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$557 SEK 5,524

-44.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,102 SEK 10.9K

-2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$962 SEK 9,528

-36.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$4,302 SEK 42.6K

-32.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$2,298 SEK 22.8K

-84.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.06

135.29%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Halmstad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Halmstad

$558 34.7% 80.5% $249

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Halmstad

$317 19.8% 54.2% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Halmstad

$158 9.8% 2.5% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Halmstad

$152 9.5% 62% $58

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Halmstad

$262 16.3% 197% $173

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Halmstad

$67 4.2% 53.5% $23

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Halmstad

$91 5.7% 487% $76

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $571 in Halmstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Halmstad pays 564% 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 $71.0 in Halmstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $317 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Halmstad

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

10:16 10:16 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

55,688

💱 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 Halmstad 10,290 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Halmstad

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 Halmstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 564% lower in Halmstad. 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 $571 in Halmstad. 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 $1,605 in Halmstad – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 419% less than in Halmstad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,605 in Halmstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Halmstad. 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 Halmstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Halmstad 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 75% less than in Halmstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.