Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Sandnes

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $2,639 in Sandnes, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Sandnes
Learn more

Sandnes Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Sandnes

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Sandnes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $2,639 in Sandnes.

Cebu $918
Sandnes $2,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $4,091 in Sandnes.

Cebu $1,409
Sandnes $4,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $5,543 in Sandnes.

Cebu $1,900
Sandnes $5,543

Living in Cebu costs roughly 65% less than in Sandnes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Sandnes is 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱195

$25.33 NOK 238

-87.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$94.9 NOK 893

-74.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$15.41 NOK 145

-74.56%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$5.58 NOK 52.6

-55.02%

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

$1.59 ₱100

$3.37 NOK 31.70

-52.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.45

$2.95 NOK 27.75

-82.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$13.54 NOK 128

-86.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$11.92 NOK 112

-81.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$2.33 NOK 21.91

-17.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.5

$3.34 NOK 31.43

-59.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.6

$2.47 NOK 23.23

-59.11%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.92 NOK 46.31

-58.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$13.26 NOK 125

-25.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$15.84 NOK 149

-72.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$31.72 NOK 299

-76.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$3.45 NOK 32.44

-4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$2.82 NOK 26.52

-50.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$3.09 NOK 29.12

-24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$4.72 NOK 44.41

-68.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$2.54 NOK 23.89

-7.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$2.36 NOK 22.17

-19.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$2.82 NOK 26.54

-57.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.73

$2.25 NOK 21.17

-72.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$16.35 NOK 154

-81.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱380

$16.37 NOK 154

-63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$3.23 NOK 30.37

-61.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$4.13 NOK 38.89

-57.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.87

$4.65 NOK 43.81

-94.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$82.1 NOK 773

-84.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.64

$6.00 NOK 56.5

-87.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.54

$1.68 NOK 15.82

-86.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$47.92 NOK 451

-90.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$2.21 NOK 20.81

-40.72%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$43.3K NOK 407.2K

-50.89%

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

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$38.6K NOK 363.0K

-50.35%

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

$120 ₱7,573

$245 NOK 2,309

-50.99%

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

$14.00 ₱882

$34.40 NOK 324

-59.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,735

$83.6 NOK 787

-67.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,036

$45.45 NOK 428

-28.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$52.2 NOK 491

-87.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$18.81 NOK 177

-69.96%

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

$275 ₱17.3K

$284 NOK 2,675

-3.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.8K

$9,372 NOK 88.2K

-15.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,107

$123 NOK 1,159

-59.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,590

$59.5 NOK 560

-57.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,848

$119 NOK 1,121

-35.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,603

$186 NOK 1,751

-69.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$1,304 NOK 12.3K

-61.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.5K

$947 NOK 8,916

-67.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$1,964 NOK 18.5K

-45.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.8K

$1,754 NOK 16.5K

-64.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.8K

$6,896 NOK 64.9K

-58.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$4,065 NOK 38.3K

-52.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$3,612 NOK 34.0K

-90.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.22

37.93%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Sandnes

$947 35.9% 207% $638

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Sandnes

$478 18.1% 132% $272

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Sandnes

$363 13.8% 125% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Sandnes

$220 8.3% 134% $126

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Sandnes

$433 16.4% 390% $344

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Sandnes

$83 3.2% 90.4% $39

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Sandnes

$115 4.4% 639% $100

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $1,304 in Sandnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 944% 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 $95.0 in Sandnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $478 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇳🇴 Sandnes

🕒 Local time

23:32 11:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

83,958

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Sandnes 10,520 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Sandnes

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 Sandnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 188% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 944% lower in Sandnes. 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 $1,304 in Sandnes. 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 $2,639 in Sandnes – a 188% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 550% less than in Sandnes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $2,639 in Sandnes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Sandnes. 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 Sandnes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Sandnes 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 188% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.