Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Harstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $2,553 in Harstad, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Harstad
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Harstad Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Harstad

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,553

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Harstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $2,553 in Harstad.

Cebu $915
Harstad $2,553

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $3,807 in Harstad.

Cebu $1,418
Harstad $3,807

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $5,061 in Harstad.

Cebu $1,921
Harstad $5,061

Living in Cebu costs roughly 64% less than in Harstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 33% below, Harstad is 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$14.18 NOK 133

-78.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$103 NOK 969

-76.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$15.83 NOK 149

-74.79%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$6.29 NOK 59.2

-60.25%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$3.63 NOK 34.15

-57.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$3.14 NOK 29.58

-84.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$12.57 NOK 118

-85.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$13.53 NOK 127

-83.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$2.46 NOK 23.20

-18.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$3.25 NOK 30.60

-57.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$3.22 NOK 30.27

-68.01%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.31 NOK 40.61

-52.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$10.71 NOK 101

-4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$14.37 NOK 135

-69.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$41.47 NOK 390

-81.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$4.15 NOK 39.10

-20.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.85 NOK 26.81

-48.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$3.69 NOK 34.75

-37.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$4.65 NOK 43.74

-67.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$2.06 NOK 19.36

13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.04 NOK 19.21

-4.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$2.98 NOK 28.02

-61.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$2.34 NOK 22.00

-70.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$16.03 NOK 151

-81.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$15.88 NOK 149

-60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$3.82 NOK 35.99

-67.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$4.89 NOK 46.04

-64.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$6.09 NOK 57.3

-96.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$81.8 NOK 770

-84.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$15.86 NOK 149

-95.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$1.86 NOK 17.47

-88.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$55.0 NOK 517

-91.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$2.29 NOK 21.60

-42.36%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$36.4K NOK 343.0K

-42.35%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$30.9K NOK 291.0K

-37.24%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$167 NOK 1,568

-28.83%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$33.30 NOK 313

-57.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$77.4 NOK 729

-64.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$48.78 NOK 459

-33.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$37.22 NOK 350

-82.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$17.10 NOK 161

-68.42%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$237 NOK 2,231

16.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$5,116 NOK 48.2K

53.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$67.4 NOK 635

-26.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$34.87 NOK 328

-29.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$118 NOK 1,111

-35.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$161 NOK 1,513

-63.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$1,335 NOK 12.6K

-62.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$1,035 NOK 9,740

-70.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$2,281 NOK 21.5K

-52.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$1,526 NOK 14.4K

-58.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$6,018 NOK 56.6K

-52.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$3,991 NOK 37.6K

-52.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$3,383 NOK 31.8K

-90.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

44.00%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Harstad: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Harstad

$1K 40.5% 240% $730

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Harstad

$502 19.7% 140% $293

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Harstad

$277 10.9% 73.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Harstad

$171 6.7% 81.9% $77

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Harstad

$353 13.8% 303% $266

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Harstad

$83 3.3% 92.5% $40

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Harstad

$131 5.1% 767% $116

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $1,335 in Harstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harstad pays 907% 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 $103 in Harstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $502 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇴 Harstad

🕒 Local time

05:06 5:06 AM

23:06 11:06 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

25,119

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 20, 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 Harstad 9,620 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Harstad

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 Harstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 179% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 907% lower in Harstad. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $1,335 in Harstad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $2,553 in Harstad – a 179% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 563% less than in Harstad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $2,553 in Harstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Harstad. 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 Harstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Harstad 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 179% less than in Harstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.