Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kalix

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,757 in Kalix, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Kalix
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Kalix Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Kalix

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kalix

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $1,757 in Kalix.

Cebu $915
Kalix $1,757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $2,725 in Kalix.

Cebu $1,418
Kalix $2,725

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $3,694 in Kalix.

Cebu $1,921
Kalix $3,694

Living in Cebu costs roughly 48% less than in Kalix, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 33% below, Kalix is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$13.62 SEK 135

-77.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$81.1 SEK 804

-70.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$10.28 SEK 102

-61.19%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$4.33 SEK 42.90

-42.26%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$2.93 SEK 29.04

-47.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$2.46 SEK 24.38

-79.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$7.77 SEK 77.0

-77.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$7.10 SEK 70.4

-69.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.83 SEK 18.18

9.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$2.90 SEK 28.76

-52.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$3.20 SEK 31.71

-67.81%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.69 SEK 36.52

-44.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$11.04 SEK 109

-7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$12.81 SEK 127

-65.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$18.85 SEK 187

-59.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$3.18 SEK 31.52

4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.25 SEK 22.26

-35.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$3.00 SEK 29.73

-22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$4.90 SEK 48.57

-69.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.48 SEK 14.66

58.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.53 SEK 15.14

26.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$2.44 SEK 24.22

-52.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$1.39 SEK 13.73

-51.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$6.64 SEK 65.7

-54.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$10.88 SEK 108

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.90 SEK 18.87

-35.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$2.47 SEK 24.48

-29.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$2.86 SEK 28.38

-91.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$73.6 SEK 729

-83.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$5.09 SEK 50.4

-84.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$1.62 SEK 16.06

-86.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$64.6 SEK 640

-92.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.95 SEK 19.34

-32.31%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$32.0K SEK 317.5K

-34.45%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$37.9K SEK 375.8K

-48.85%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$89.3 SEK 885

32.78%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$26.82 SEK 266

-46.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$40.20 SEK 398

-31.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$40.77 SEK 404

-20.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$29.34 SEK 291

-77.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$17.68 SEK 175

-69.46%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$151 SEK 1,492

83.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$5,466 SEK 54.2K

43.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$85.7 SEK 849

-42.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$45.42 SEK 450

-45.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$96.0 SEK 951

-20.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$130 SEK 1,286

-54.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$741 SEK 7,342

-32.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$635 SEK 6,290

-52.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$1,504 SEK 14.9K

-28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$994 SEK 9,847

-36.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$4,594 SEK 45.5K

-37.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$3,034 SEK 30.1K

-38.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

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 19, 2026

Last update for Kalix: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Kalix

$635 36.1% 109% $330

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Kalix

$365 20.8% 74% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Kalix

$156 8.9% 2.5% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Kalix

$161 9.1% 70.4% $66

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kalix

$266 15.2% 204% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Kalix

$76 4.3% 76.6% $33

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Kalix

$98 5.6% 548% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $741 in Kalix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $81.0 in Kalix for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $365 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Kalix

🕒 Local time

08:44 8:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

15,734

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Kalix 9,450 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kalix

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 Kalix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,372 in Cebu and $2,636 in Kalix to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $741 in Kalix. 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 $1,757 in Kalix – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 496% less than in Kalix. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $1,757 in Kalix, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Kalix. 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 Kalix, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Kalix 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 92% less than in Kalix. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.