For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,777 in Lund, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
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 Lund actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $1,777 in Lund.
Cebu $934
Lund $1,777
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $2,922 in Lund.
Cebu $1,415
Lund $2,922
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $4,067 in Lund.
Cebu $1,896
Lund $4,067
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 47% less than in Lund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Lund is 33% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Lund
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03₱190
$12.72SEK 127
-76.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.48₱1,473
$91.0SEK 909
-74.18%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.09₱256
$11.72SEK 117
-65.10%
Cappuccino
$2.52₱158
$4.60SEK 46.01
-45.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54₱96.9
$2.79SEK 27.88
-44.80%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49₱30.98
$2.07SEK 20.65
-76.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.79₱112
$8.18SEK 81.7
-78.12%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26₱142
$6.79SEK 67.9
-66.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Lund
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.95₱122
$1.63SEK 16.28
19.63%
White Bread(500g)
$1.43₱89.7
$2.55SEK 25.47
-43.92%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.02₱63.8
$3.38SEK 33.74
-69.82%
Eggs
$2.06₱129
$4.57SEK 45.63
-54.92%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.81₱615
$12.53SEK 125
-21.71%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.61₱289
$11.84SEK 118
-61.06%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.70₱483
$15.33SEK 153
-49.77%
Apples(1kg)
$3.31₱207
$3.06SEK 30.63
8.17%
Banana(1kg)
$1.45₱90.9
$2.58SEK 25.82
-43.80%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.36₱148
$2.83SEK 28.26
-16.61%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.54₱96.4
$4.68SEK 46.78
-67.09%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱148
$1.70SEK 16.98
38.82%
Onion(1kg)
$1.99₱125
$1.43SEK 14.25
39.16%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.15₱72.1
$2.55SEK 25.50
-54.90%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67₱42.15
$1.52SEK 15.20
-55.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱188
$8.10SEK 81.0
-62.96%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.35₱398
$11.15SEK 111
-43.05%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.31₱81.9
$1.85SEK 18.50
-29.19%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73₱108
$2.73SEK 27.27
-36.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Lund
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.78
$3.28SEK 32.79
-92.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.65₱793
$63.3SEK 632
-80.01%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.74₱46.32
$5.08SEK 50.7
-85.43%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.21₱13.11
$1.10SEK 11.02
-80.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.33₱271
$41.40SEK 414
-89.54%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.33₱83.5
$1.80SEK 17.97
-26.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K₱1.4M
$33.1KSEK 331.0K
-34.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K₱1.2M
$32.8KSEK 328.1K
-40.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Lund
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$121₱7,563
$76.4SEK 764
57.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.45₱907
$28.05SEK 280
-48.48%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.29₱1,774
$41.33SEK 413
-31.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Lund
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.68₱2,050
$38.07SEK 381
-14.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.39₱401
$27.39SEK 274
-76.67%
Cinema Ticket
$5.46₱342
$15.11SEK 151
-63.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Lund
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$273₱17.1K
$157SEK 1,571
73.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,156₱511.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Lund
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.57₱3,109
$78.5SEK 785
-36.88%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.87₱1,560
$56.6SEK 566
-56.07%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.6₱4,804
$97.7SEK 976
-21.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.3₱3,717
$121SEK 1,213
-51.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Lund
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$506₱31.7K
$826SEK 8,255
-38.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$672SEK 6,716
-53.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,052₱66.0K
$1,697SEK 17.0K
-38.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$619₱38.8K
$1,365SEK 13.6K
-54.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,915₱182.9K
$6,116SEK 61.1K
-52.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,867₱117.1K
$3,597SEK 35.9K
-48.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Lund
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$341₱21.4K
$2,871SEK 28.7K
-88.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
3.03
137.62%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026
Last update for Lund: October 5, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309 33.5%
Lund
$672 38.3% ↑ 117%$363
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210 22.7%
Lund
$355 20.3% ↑ 68.9%$145
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$163 17.7%
Lund
$146 8.3% ↓ 10.7%$18
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$95 10.2%
Lund
$159 9.1% ↑ 68.4%$65
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Lund
$266 15.2% ↑ 201%$178
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.7%
Lund
$68 3.9% ↑ 56.6%$25
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$15 1.7%
Lund
$87 5% ↑ 463%$72
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$619 32.4%
Lund
$1.4K 33.8% ↑ 121%$746
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$493 25.8%
Lund
$822 20.4% ↑ 66.8%$329
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$178 9.3%
Lund
$174 4.3% ↓ 2.2%$3.9
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$210 11%
Lund
$354 8.8% ↑ 68.4%$144
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$288 15.1%
Lund
$975 24.2% ↑ 238%$686
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Lund
$164 4.1% ↑ 75.2%$70
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$31 1.6%
Lund
$181 4.5% ↑ 475%$149
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $826 in Lund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lund pays 742% 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 $91.0 in Lund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $355 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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 Lund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lund cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Lund?
On paper, salaries run 742% lower in Lund. 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 Lund?
Rent for a central apartment: $506 in Cebu versus $826 in Lund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Lund?
All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $1,777 in Lund – a 90% 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 400% less than in Lund. 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 Lund?
At $934 in Cebu versus $1,777 in Lund, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Lund. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Lund more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lund, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Lund?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Lund 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 90% less than in Lund. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.