For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,791 in Skovde, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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 Skovde actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $1,791 in Skovde.
Cebu $915
Skovde $1,791
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $2,796 in Skovde.
Cebu $1,418
Skovde $2,796
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $3,801 in Skovde.
Cebu $1,921
Skovde $3,801
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 49% less than in Skovde, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 33% below, Skovde is 32% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.05₱192
$13.15SEK 130
-76.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.00₱1,511
$82.2SEK 814
-70.80%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.99₱251
$10.25SEK 102
-61.07%
Cappuccino
$2.50₱157
$4.14SEK 41.06
-39.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54₱97.1
$3.04SEK 30.12
-49.34%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50₱31.37
$2.33SEK 23.09
-78.54%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$8.12SEK 80.5
-78.08%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱136
$10.05SEK 99.6
-78.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.00₱126
$1.40SEK 13.84
42.86%
White Bread(500g)
$1.37₱86.2
$2.86SEK 28.30
-52.10%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.03₱64.9
$4.59SEK 45.50
-77.56%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$3.58SEK 35.49
-43.30%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.20₱642
$10.08SEK 99.9
1.19%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.45₱280
$12.86SEK 127
-65.40%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.67₱483
$17.98SEK 178
-57.34%
Apples(1kg)
$3.31₱208
$4.13SEK 40.94
-19.85%
Banana(1kg)
$1.46₱91.8
$2.67SEK 26.48
-45.32%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.32₱146
$3.66SEK 36.23
-36.61%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.49₱94.0
$5.17SEK 51.2
-71.18%
Potato(1kg)
$2.34₱147
$1.52SEK 15.10
53.95%
Onion(1kg)
$1.94₱122
$1.76SEK 17.44
10.23%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.16₱73.0
$2.66SEK 26.36
-56.39%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68₱42.89
$1.33SEK 13.17
-48.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99₱188
$8.00SEK 79.3
-62.63%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.24₱393
$8.20SEK 81.2
-23.90%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.3
$2.42SEK 23.95
-49.17%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73₱109
$2.62SEK 25.93
-33.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.23₱14.36
$3.61SEK 35.73
-93.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.34₱777
$84.5SEK 838
-85.40%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.79₱49.96
$5.55SEK 55.0
-85.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.22₱13.86
$1.29SEK 12.76
-82.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.54₱286
$62.5SEK 620
-92.74%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.32₱82.9
$1.77SEK 17.54
-25.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K₱1.3M
$33.1KSEK 327.9K
-36.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.4K₱1.2M
$33.6KSEK 332.6K
-42.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$119₱7,464
$113SEK 1,122
4.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.22₱896
$11.00SEK 109
29.27%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.47₱1,730
$47.37SEK 469
-42.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.31₱2,034
$38.41SEK 381
-15.88%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.50₱409
$27.31SEK 271
-76.20%
Cinema Ticket
$5.40₱340
$18.25SEK 181
-70.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$276₱17.4K
$129SEK 1,274
114.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,866₱495.3K
$4,654SEK 46.1K
69.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37₱3,108
$107SEK 1,065
-54.06%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.58₱1,548
$30.76SEK 305
-20.09%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$76.6₱4,825
$61.6SEK 611
24.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.9₱3,706
$205SEK 2,032
-71.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$503₱31.7K
$793SEK 7,853
-36.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$305₱19.2K
$615SEK 6,089
-50.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,075₱67.7K
$1,336SEK 13.2K
-19.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$632₱39.8K
$1,014SEK 10.0K
-37.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,870₱180.7K
$4,079SEK 40.4K
-29.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,877₱118.2K
$2,821SEK 28.0K
-33.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Skovde
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$336₱21.1K
$3,350SEK 33.2K
-89.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
3
140.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026
Last update for Skovde: October 19, 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
$305 33.3%
Skovde
$615 34.3% ↑ 102%$310
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$210 22.9%
Skovde
$369 20.6% ↑ 76.2%$160
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$160 17.5%
Skovde
$172 9.6% ↑ 7.1%$11
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.3%
Skovde
$182 10.2% ↑ 93.3%$88
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Skovde
$268 15% ↑ 205%$180
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$43 4.7%
Skovde
$75 4.2% ↑ 73.8%$32
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$15 1.7%
Skovde
$111 6.2% ↑ 632%$96
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$632 32.9%
Skovde
$1K 26.7% ↑ 60.4%$382
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$491 25.6%
Skovde
$857 22.6% ↑ 74.4%$366
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$174 9.1%
Skovde
$183 4.8% ↑ 4.7%$8.2
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 10.9%
Skovde
$405 10.7% ↑ 93.3%$196
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$290 15.1%
Skovde
$936 24.6% ↑ 223%$646
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$93 4.8%
Skovde
$177 4.7% ↑ 91.1%$84
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$31 1.6%
Skovde
$229 6% ↑ 645%$198
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $793 in Skovde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Skovde pays 897% 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 $82.0 in Skovde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $369 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 Skovde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skovde cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Skovde?
On paper, salaries run 897% lower in Skovde. 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 Skovde?
Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Cebu versus $793 in Skovde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Skovde?
All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $1,791 in Skovde – a 96% 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 585% less than in Skovde. 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 Skovde?
At $915 in Cebu versus $1,791 in Skovde, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Skovde. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Skovde more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Skovde, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Skovde?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Skovde 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 96% less than in Skovde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.