Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,713 in Karlstad, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Karlstad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,713 in Karlstad.

Cebu $918
Karlstad $1,713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,643 in Karlstad.

Cebu $1,409
Karlstad $2,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,572 in Karlstad.

Cebu $1,900
Karlstad $3,572

Living in Cebu costs roughly 46% less than in Karlstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Karlstad is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$14.97 SEK 148

-79.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$78.2 SEK 775

-69.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$9.66 SEK 95.7

-59.42%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.80 SEK 47.60

-47.71%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.54 SEK 25.21

-37.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$2.12 SEK 20.98

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$7.69 SEK 76.2

-76.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.45 SEK 63.9

-66.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.51 SEK 15.00

27.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$2.89 SEK 28.64

-52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.68 SEK 36.48

-72.55%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.50 SEK 44.60

-54.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$9.84 SEK 97.5

0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$14.17 SEK 140

-69.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$17.97 SEK 178

-57.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.82 SEK 27.95

17.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.64 SEK 26.12

-47.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.09 SEK 30.57

-24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$5.09 SEK 50.4

-70.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.91 SEK 18.88

23.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.67 SEK 16.58

13.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.61 SEK 25.90

-54.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.31 SEK 12.95

-51.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.89 SEK 68.3

-56.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$9.86 SEK 97.7

-38.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$2.37 SEK 23.46

-48.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.09 SEK 20.69

-16.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.16 SEK 31.32

-92.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$79.9 SEK 792

-84.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$5.42 SEK 53.7

-85.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.33 SEK 13.16

-82.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$61.5 SEK 609

-92.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.77 SEK 17.50

-25.99%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$32.2K SEK 319.4K

-34.10%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.7K SEK 323.8K

-41.42%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$101 SEK 1,001

18.98%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$15.82 SEK 157

-11.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$44.59 SEK 442

-38.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$44.52 SEK 441

-27.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$16.95 SEK 168

-60.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$13.91 SEK 138

-59.38%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$123 SEK 1,223

123.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$105 SEK 1,039

-52.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$38.98 SEK 386

-35.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$73.5 SEK 728

4.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$142 SEK 1,403

-59.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$834 SEK 8,264

-40.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$567 SEK 5,617

-45.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,154 SEK 11.4K

-6.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$861 SEK 8,528

-28.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$3,710 SEK 36.8K

-22.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,794 SEK 27.7K

-31.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,220 SEK 31.9K

-89.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.8

89.47%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Karlstad

$567 33.1% 83.6% $258

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Karlstad

$370 21.6% 79.6% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Karlstad

$161 9.4% 0.2% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Karlstad

$161 9.4% 71.9% $68

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Karlstad

$276 16.1% 213% $188

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Karlstad

$72 4.2% 65.8% $29

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 572% $89

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $834 in Karlstad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlstad pays 831% 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 $78.0 in Karlstad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $370 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

22:16 10:16 PM

16:16 4:16 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

62,797

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Karlstad 10,140 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Karlstad

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 831% lower in Karlstad. 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 $834 in Karlstad. 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 $1,713 in Karlstad – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 532% less than in Karlstad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,713 in Karlstad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Karlstad. 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 Karlstad, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Karlstad 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 87% less than in Karlstad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.