Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Lulea

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,823 in Lulea, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Lulea
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Lulea Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Lulea

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Lulea

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,823 in Lulea.

Cebu $934
Lulea $1,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,920 in Lulea.

Cebu $1,415
Lulea $2,920

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $4,016 in Lulea.

Cebu $1,896
Lulea $4,016

Living in Cebu costs roughly 49% less than in Lulea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Lulea is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$11.72 SEK 117

-74.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$95.5 SEK 955

-75.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$10.95 SEK 109

-62.65%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$4.36 SEK 43.52

-42.20%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$2.51 SEK 25.10

-38.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$1.87 SEK 18.66

-73.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$8.58 SEK 85.8

-79.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$9.49 SEK 94.8

-76.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.77 SEK 17.71

10.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$3.26 SEK 32.60

-56.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$4.94 SEK 49.41

-79.35%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$4.65 SEK 46.43

-55.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$12.25 SEK 122

-19.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$13.21 SEK 132

-65.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$26.18 SEK 262

-70.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$2.55 SEK 25.47

29.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$2.65 SEK 26.53

-45.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.49 SEK 24.87

-5.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$4.11 SEK 41.10

-62.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$2.04 SEK 20.39

15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.54 SEK 15.43

29.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$3.36 SEK 33.58

-65.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$1.29 SEK 12.93

-48.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$6.68 SEK 66.7

-55.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$12.05 SEK 120

-47.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$1.78 SEK 17.77

-26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$1.72 SEK 17.15

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$3.32 SEK 33.21

-92.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$55.4 SEK 554

-77.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$9.04 SEK 90.3

-91.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$2.05 SEK 20.52

-89.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$70.6 SEK 706

-93.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.77 SEK 17.65

-24.86%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$31.9K SEK 318.5K

-31.70%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$33.5K SEK 334.6K

-42.07%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$160 SEK 1,603

-24.83%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$31.51 SEK 315

-54.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$26.96 SEK 269

4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$46.15 SEK 461

-29.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$35.47 SEK 354

-81.98%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$12.94 SEK 129

-57.81%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$153 SEK 1,528

78.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$5,466 SEK 54.6K

49.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$117 SEK 1,168

-57.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$31.97 SEK 320

-22.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$120 SEK 1,202

-36.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$161 SEK 1,611

-63.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$778 SEK 7,773

-34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$581 SEK 5,811

-46.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$1,418 SEK 14.2K

-25.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,098 SEK 11.0K

-43.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$3,049 SEK 30.5K

-4.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$2,254 SEK 22.5K

-17.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$2,595 SEK 25.9K

-86.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.85

87.01%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lulea: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Lulea

$581 32% 87.9% $272

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Lulea

$404 22.2% 91.9% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Lulea

$219 12.1% 34% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Lulea

$194 10.7% 105% $99

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Lulea

$258 14.2% 192% $170

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Lulea

$72 4% 65.2% $28

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Lulea

$88 4.9% 470% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $778 in Lulea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lulea pays 661% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $96.0 in Lulea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $404 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Lulea

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

08:16 8:16 AM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

73,864

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Lulea 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Lulea

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 Lulea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 661% lower in Lulea. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $778 in Lulea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,823 in Lulea – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 338% less than in Lulea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,823 in Lulea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lulea. 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 Lulea, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Lulea 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 95% less than in Lulea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.