Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kalmar

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,907 in Kalmar, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Kalmar
Learn more

Kalmar Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Kalmar

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kalmar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,907 in Kalmar.

Cebu $918
Kalmar $1,907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,844 in Kalmar.

Cebu $1,409
Kalmar $2,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,781 in Kalmar.

Cebu $1,900
Kalmar $3,781

Living in Cebu costs roughly 52% less than in Kalmar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Kalmar is 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$14.70 SEK 146

-78.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$71.0 SEK 704

-65.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$10.27 SEK 102

-61.83%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.65 SEK 46.09

-46.02%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.82 SEK 27.99

-43.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$2.59 SEK 25.71

-79.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-81.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$7.03 SEK 69.7

-69.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.47 SEK 14.61

30.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$3.01 SEK 29.83

-54.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.92 SEK 28.97

-65.41%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.59 SEK 45.43

-55.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$16.24 SEK 161

-39.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$10.97 SEK 109

-59.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$21.76 SEK 216

-65.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.46 SEK 24.38

34.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.63 SEK 26.06

-47.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.40 SEK 33.69

-31.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.27 SEK 42.33

-64.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.63 SEK 16.12

44.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$2.30 SEK 22.82

-17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.84 SEK 18.19

-35.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.66 SEK 16.43

-62.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$7.97 SEK 79.0

-62.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$9.19 SEK 91.1

-34.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.96 SEK 19.44

-37.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.51 SEK 24.87

-30.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.33 SEK 33.01

-92.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$76.6 SEK 759

-83.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$9.70 SEK 96.1

-92.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.66 SEK 16.40

-86.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$46.98 SEK 466

-90.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.70 SEK 16.81

-22.94%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$29.9K SEK 296.3K

-28.95%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$28.7K SEK 284.4K

-33.29%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$142 SEK 1,403

-15.08%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$26.84 SEK 266

-47.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$31.79 SEK 315

-13.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$30.76 SEK 305

5.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$26.42 SEK 262

-74.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$14.67 SEK 145

-61.49%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$138 SEK 1,367

99.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$4,914 SEK 48.7K

61.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$50.5 SEK 501

-2.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$42.32 SEK 419

-40.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$79.8 SEK 791

-3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$101 SEK 998

-43.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$914 SEK 9,056

-45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$751 SEK 7,440

-58.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,294 SEK 12.8K

-16.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,107 SEK 11.0K

-44.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$4,041 SEK 40.0K

-28.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,682 SEK 26.6K

-28.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$2,878 SEK 28.5K

-87.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.93

83.21%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kalmar: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Kalmar

$751 39.4% 143% $442

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Kalmar

$377 19.8% 83% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Kalmar

$200 10.5% 23.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Kalmar

$123 6.5% 31% $29

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kalmar

$288 15.1% 227% $200

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Kalmar

$60 3.2% 37.8% $16

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Kalmar

$108 5.7% 593% $92

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $914 in Kalmar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kalmar pays 732% 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 Kalmar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $377 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Kalmar

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

05:23 5:23 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

35,170

💱 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 Kalmar 10,090 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kalmar

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 Kalmar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 732% lower in Kalmar. 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 $914 in Kalmar. 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 $1,907 in Kalmar – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 506% less than in Kalmar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,907 in Kalmar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Kalmar. 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 Kalmar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Kalmar 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 108% less than in Kalmar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.