Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lidingo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,837 in Lidingo, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Lidingo
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,837
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Lidingo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,837 in Lidingo.

  • Cebu $918
  • Lidingo $1,837

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,809 in Lidingo.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Lidingo $2,809

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,780 in Lidingo.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Lidingo $3,780

Living in Cebu costs roughly 50% less than in Lidingo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Lidingo is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$13.96 SEK 138
-77.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$71.0 SEK 703
-65.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$11.31 SEK 112
-65.34%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$2.93 SEK 28.99
-14.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$2.23 SEK 22.11
-28.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$2.55 SEK 25.25
-79.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$6.45 SEK 63.9
-72.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$5.46 SEK 54.1
-60.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.41 SEK 13.96
36.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$3.01 SEK 29.84
-54.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$3.52 SEK 34.87
-71.31%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$3.99 SEK 39.58
-49.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$12.06 SEK 119
-18.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$12.87 SEK 128
-65.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$22.26 SEK 221
-65.86%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$3.15 SEK 31.25
4.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$2.46 SEK 24.33
-43.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$3.62 SEK 35.89
-35.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$4.48 SEK 44.43
-66.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$2.00 SEK 19.82
18.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.84 SEK 18.22
3.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$2.12 SEK 21.01
-43.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$1.50 SEK 14.89
-58.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$7.67 SEK 76.0
-60.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$13.48 SEK 134
-55.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$1.36 SEK 13.44
-9.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$2.18 SEK 21.62
-19.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$3.23 SEK 31.98
-92.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$76.5 SEK 758
-83.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$3.42 SEK 33.88
-77.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$2.47 SEK 24.51
-90.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$78.3 SEK 776
-94.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.72 SEK 17.06
-23.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$32.4K SEK 321.3K
-34.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$33.3K SEK 330.0K
-42.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$183 SEK 1,817
-34.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$22.03 SEK 218
-36.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$43.11 SEK 427
-36.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$37.31 SEK 370
-13.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$26.15 SEK 259
-74.57%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$16.26 SEK 161
-65.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$151 SEK 1,499
81.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
$4,992 SEK 49.5K
58.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$103 SEK 1,016
-51.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$39.95 SEK 396
-36.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$87.4 SEK 866
-11.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$136 SEK 1,347
-57.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$805 SEK 7,980
-37.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$623 SEK 6,174
-50.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$1,320 SEK 13.1K
-18.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$1,033 SEK 10.2K
-40.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$3,954 SEK 39.2K
-27.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$2,818 SEK 27.9K
-32.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Lidingo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$2,491 SEK 24.7K
-86.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
3.53
103.97%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lidingo: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Lidingo
$623 102% $314
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Lidingo
$383 86.2% $177
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Lidingo
$248 53.6% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Lidingo
$165 75.2% $71
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Lidingo
$243 175% $155
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Lidingo
$70 60.1% $26
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Lidingo
$105 576% $90

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $805 in Lidingo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lidingo pays 620% 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 Lidingo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $383 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇸🇪 Lidingo
🕒 Local time
21:16 9:16 PM
15:16 3:16 PM
6 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
48,541
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Lidingo 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Lidingo

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 Lidingo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lidingo cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Lidingo?
On paper, salaries run 620% lower in Lidingo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Lidingo?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $805 in Lidingo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Lidingo?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,837 in Lidingo – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 505% less than in Lidingo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Lidingo?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,837 in Lidingo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lidingo. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Lidingo more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lidingo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Lidingo?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Lidingo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Lidingo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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