Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Hamar

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,380 in Hamar, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Hamar
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Hamar Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Hamar

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Hamar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $2,380 in Hamar.

Cebu $918
Hamar $2,380

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $3,750 in Hamar.

Cebu $1,409
Hamar $3,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $5,120 in Hamar.

Cebu $1,900
Hamar $5,120

Living in Cebu costs roughly 61% less than in Hamar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Hamar is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$21.18 NOK 199

-85.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$125 NOK 1,180

-80.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$15.83 NOK 149

-75.24%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$5.76 NOK 54.2

-56.42%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$4.21 NOK 39.63

-62.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$3.28 NOK 30.85

-83.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$11.49 NOK 108

-84.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$8.07 NOK 76.0

-73.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.50 NOK 23.53

-23.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$2.93 NOK 27.57

-53.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$2.06 NOK 19.36

-50.97%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$5.76 NOK 54.3

-64.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$11.05 NOK 104

-10.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$12.20 NOK 115

-64.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$31.42 NOK 296

-75.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.21 NOK 30.26

2.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.57 NOK 24.17

-45.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.05 NOK 28.74

-23.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$5.89 NOK 55.5

-74.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.48 NOK 23.34

-4.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$2.44 NOK 22.95

-22.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.12 NOK 19.97

-43.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$1.99 NOK 18.74

-68.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$18.94 NOK 178

-84.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$16.40 NOK 154

-63.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$3.38 NOK 31.78

-63.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$4.18 NOK 39.37

-58.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$4.66 NOK 43.87

-94.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$67.5 NOK 635

-81.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$11.92 NOK 112

-93.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.78 NOK 16.76

-87.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$69.5 NOK 654

-93.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.37 NOK 22.32

-44.73%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$47.8K NOK 449.5K

-55.52%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$43.6K NOK 410.2K

-56.06%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$223 NOK 2,104

-46.20%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$33.07 NOK 311

-57.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$54.1 NOK 509

-49.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$58.2 NOK 548

-44.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$29.40 NOK 277

-77.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$19.79 NOK 186

-71.45%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$207 NOK 1,948

33.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$15.8K NOK 148.3K

-49.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$102 NOK 959

-51.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$59.5 NOK 560

-57.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$131 NOK 1,230

-41.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$104 NOK 977

-44.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$1,227 NOK 11.6K

-59.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$847 NOK 7,973

-63.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,578 NOK 14.9K

-31.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$1,489 NOK 14.0K

-58.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$4,302 NOK 40.5K

-32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$3,421 NOK 32.2K

-43.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$4,269 NOK 40.2K

-91.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

4.94

45.75%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hamar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Hamar

$847 35.6% 174% $538

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Hamar

$450 18.9% 119% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Hamar

$311 13.1% 92% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Hamar

$178 7.5% 89.7% $84

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Hamar

$390 16.4% 341% $301

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Hamar

$98 4.1% 124% $54

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Hamar

$107 4.5% 587% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $1,227 in Hamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamar pays 1134% 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 $125 in Hamar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $450 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇴 Hamar

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

18:17 6:17 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

33,059

💱 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 = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 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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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Hamar 10,190 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Hamar

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 Hamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 159% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1134% lower in Hamar. 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 $1,227 in Hamar. 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 $2,380 in Hamar – a 159% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 434% less than in Hamar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,380 in Hamar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Hamar. 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 Hamar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Hamar 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 159% less than in Hamar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.