Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Kista

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,726 in Kista, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Kista
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Kista Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Kista

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Kista

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,726 in Kista.

Cebu $918
Kista $1,726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,685 in Kista.

Cebu $1,409
Kista $2,685

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,644 in Kista.

Cebu $1,900
Kista $3,644

Living in Cebu costs roughly 47% less than in Kista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Kista is 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$12.98 SEK 129

-76.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$75.9 SEK 752

-68.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$10.22 SEK 101

-61.64%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.44 SEK 44.02

-43.47%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.59 SEK 25.65

-38.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$2.20 SEK 21.83

-75.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$7.07 SEK 70.1

-74.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$7.28 SEK 72.1

-70.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.64 SEK 16.27

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$2.69 SEK 26.68

-49.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.51 SEK 34.75

-71.23%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.24 SEK 42.04

-52.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$11.67 SEK 116

-15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$11.62 SEK 115

-62.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$17.38 SEK 172

-56.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.05 SEK 30.22

8.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.48 SEK 24.53

-43.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.89 SEK 28.60

-19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.30 SEK 42.59

-65.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.62 SEK 16.01

45.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.56 SEK 15.49

21.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.28 SEK 22.56

-47.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.45 SEK 14.33

-56.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$7.22 SEK 71.6

-58.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$9.69 SEK 96.0

-37.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.95 SEK 19.29

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.13 SEK 21.15

-17.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.27 SEK 32.41

-92.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$76.2 SEK 755

-83.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$6.01 SEK 59.5

-87.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.71 SEK 16.99

-86.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$58.4 SEK 579

-92.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.79 SEK 17.70

-26.82%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$32.5K SEK 322.2K

-34.67%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$33.1K SEK 327.9K

-42.14%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$102 SEK 1,013

17.63%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$23.99 SEK 238

-41.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$37.81 SEK 375

-27.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$37.48 SEK 371

-13.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$25.74 SEK 255

-74.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$16.18 SEK 160

-65.08%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$154 SEK 1,522

79.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,003 SEK 49.6K

58.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$90.7 SEK 898

-45.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$40.01 SEK 396

-36.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$89.3 SEK 885

-13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$140 SEK 1,383

-59.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$795 SEK 7,877

-37.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$619 SEK 6,131

-50.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,317 SEK 13.0K

-18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,016 SEK 10.1K

-39.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$3,969 SEK 39.3K

-27.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,749 SEK 27.2K

-30.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.45

108.70%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kista: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Kista

$619 35.9% 100% $310

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Kista

$351 20.3% 70.3% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Kista

$164 9.5% 1.4% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Kista

$162 9.4% 72.2% $68

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Kista

$257 14.9% 191% $169

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Kista

$70 4.1% 60.1% $26

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Kista

$104 6% 567% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $795 in Kista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $76.0 in Kista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $351 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Kista

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

10,254

💱 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 Kista 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Kista

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 Kista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,377 in Cebu and $2,589 in Kista 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: $500 in Cebu versus $795 in Kista. 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 $1,726 in Kista – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 503% less than in Kista. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,726 in Kista, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Kista. 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 Kista, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Kista 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 88% less than in Kista. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.