Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sala

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,530 in Sala, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Sala
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Sala Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sala

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,530 in Sala.

Cebu $918
Sala $1,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,260 in Sala.

Cebu $1,409
Sala $2,260

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $2,989 in Sala.

Cebu $1,900
Sala $2,989

Living in Cebu costs roughly 40% less than in Sala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Sala is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$11.75 SEK 116

-73.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$58.6 SEK 581

-58.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$9.45 SEK 93.6

-58.52%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$3.17 SEK 31.39

-20.82%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$1.75 SEK 17.38

-9.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$2.15 SEK 21.35

-75.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.94 SEK 68.7

-74.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$6.93 SEK 68.7

-68.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.66 SEK 16.45

15.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$2.54 SEK 25.16

-46.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$3.48 SEK 34.45

-70.98%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$5.29 SEK 52.5

-61.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$11.10 SEK 110

-11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$12.95 SEK 128

-66.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$22.02 SEK 218

-65.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.87 SEK 28.42

14.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.66 SEK 26.39

-47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$2.59 SEK 25.65

-10.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.79 SEK 47.50

-68.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.46 SEK 14.46

61.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.14 SEK 11.29

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.57 SEK 25.51

-53.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$1.01 SEK 10.02

-37.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.88 SEK 68.2

-56.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$6.10 SEK 60.5

-1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.89 SEK 18.76

-34.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.76 SEK 17.47

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$2.90 SEK 28.75

-91.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$21.18 SEK 210

-40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$5.90 SEK 58.5

-86.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.69 SEK 16.73

-86.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$79.0 SEK 782

-94.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$1.73 SEK 17.13

-24.28%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$32.5K SEK 322.3K

-34.70%

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

$177 SEK 1,752

-31.99%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$19.96 SEK 198

-29.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$38.76 SEK 384

-28.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$45.97 SEK 456

-29.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$20.24 SEK 201

-67.14%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$16.13 SEK 160

-64.97%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$213 SEK 2,111

29.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$1,194 SEK 11.8K

563.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$44.45 SEK 440

10.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$34.80 SEK 345

-27.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$51.9 SEK 514

48.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$54.0 SEK 535

5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$705 SEK 6,989

-29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$501 SEK 4,966

-38.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$930 SEK 9,217

15.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$684 SEK 6,782

-10.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$4,018 SEK 39.8K

-28.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,838 SEK 28.1K

-32.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$2,422 SEK 24.0K

-85.72%

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 Sala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sala

$501 32.8% 62.3% $192

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sala

$360 23.5% 74.9% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sala

$236 15.4% 45.6% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sala

$83 5.4% 11.3% $11

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sala

$225 14.7% 154% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sala

$78 5.1% 79.3% $35

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sala

$47 3.1% 203% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $705 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 600% 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 $59.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $360 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Sala

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

13:44 1:44 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

22,994

💱 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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Between locations

Cebu Sala 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sala

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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 600% lower in Sala. 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 $705 in Sala. 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 $1,530 in Sala – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 68% less than in Sala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,530 in Sala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sala. 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 Sala, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sala 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 67% less than in Sala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.