Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Marsta

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,642 in Marsta, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Marsta
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Marsta Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Marsta

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Marsta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,642 in Marsta.

Cebu $918
Marsta $1,642

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,549 in Marsta.

Cebu $1,409
Marsta $2,549

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,456 in Marsta.

Cebu $1,900
Marsta $3,456

Living in Cebu costs roughly 44% less than in Marsta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Marsta is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$13.20 SEK 131

-76.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$65.8 SEK 652

-63.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$10.22 SEK 101

-61.64%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$4.42 SEK 43.82

-43.21%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$2.00 SEK 19.85

-20.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$1.75 SEK 17.30

-69.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$7.12 SEK 70.6

-75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.78 SEK 67.2

-67.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.69 SEK 16.77

13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$3.04 SEK 30.15

-55.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$5.64 SEK 55.9

-82.09%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$3.57 SEK 35.39

-43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$13.48 SEK 134

-26.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.95 SEK 88.7

-50.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$16.90 SEK 167

-55.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.03 SEK 30.05

8.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.67 SEK 26.49

-47.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.96 SEK 19.43

18.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$3.72 SEK 36.89

-59.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.41 SEK 13.98

67.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.48 SEK 14.66

28.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.95 SEK 19.31

-38.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.83 SEK 18.10

-65.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$7.15 SEK 70.9

-58.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$10.10 SEK 100

-40.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.87 SEK 18.56

-34.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$2.03 SEK 20.13

-13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$3.36 SEK 33.27

-92.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$75.8 SEK 751

-83.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$13.16 SEK 130

-94.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$2.00 SEK 19.86

-88.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$56.4 SEK 559

-92.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.74 SEK 17.20

-24.71%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$32.4K SEK 321.1K

-34.45%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$32.5K SEK 321.9K

-41.07%

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

$120 ₱7,569

$60.2 SEK 597

99.62%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$27.96 SEK 277

-49.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$39.22 SEK 389

-29.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$37.67 SEK 373

-14.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$26.55 SEK 263

-74.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$16.03 SEK 159

-64.75%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$216 SEK 2,137

27.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$5,033 SEK 49.9K

57.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$49.36 SEK 489

-0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$30.13 SEK 299

-16.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$89.4 SEK 885

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$100 SEK 995

-43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$802 SEK 7,943

-37.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$610 SEK 6,042

-49.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,347 SEK 13.3K

-19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$1,005 SEK 9,954

-38.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$3,974 SEK 39.4K

-27.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,757 SEK 27.3K

-30.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$4,563 SEK 45.2K

-92.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

2.8

157.14%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Marsta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Marsta

$610 37.1% 97.5% $301

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Marsta

$348 21.2% 69.2% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Marsta

$127 7.8% 21.2% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Marsta

$121 7.4% 29% $27

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Marsta

$254 15.4% 187% $165

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Marsta

$70 4.3% 59.9% $26

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Marsta

$112 6.8% 622% $97

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $802 in Marsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marsta pays 1219% 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 $66.0 in Marsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $348 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Marsta

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

12:14 12:14 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

24,068

💱 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 Marsta 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Marsta

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 Marsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1219% lower in Marsta. 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 $802 in Marsta. 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 $1,642 in Marsta – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 500% less than in Marsta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,642 in Marsta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Marsta. 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 Marsta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Marsta 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 79% less than in Marsta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.