For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,760 in Solna, 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 Solna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,760 in Solna.
Cebu $918
Solna $1,760
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $2,721 in Solna.
Cebu $1,409
Solna $2,721
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $3,682 in Solna.
Cebu $1,900
Solna $3,682
🌍
Living in Cebu costs roughly 48% less than in Solna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Solna is 30% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Solna
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09₱194
$14.11SEK 140
-78.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22₱1,525
$66.0SEK 653
-63.28%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.92₱247
$11.19SEK 111
-64.97%
Cappuccino
$2.51₱158
$4.74SEK 46.94
-47.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59₱100
$2.26SEK 22.44
-29.65%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53₱33.43
$1.42SEK 14.10
-62.68%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.78₱112
$7.48SEK 74.1
-76.20%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17₱137
$7.32SEK 72.5
-70.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Solna
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.92₱121
$1.38SEK 13.71
39.13%
White Bread(500g)
$1.36₱85.4
$2.54SEK 25.13
-46.46%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.01₱63.5
$3.51SEK 34.82
-71.23%
Eggs
$2.03₱128
$3.88SEK 38.47
-47.68%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.86₱621
$9.11SEK 90.2
8.23%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$4.39₱277
$12.75SEK 126
-65.57%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.60₱479
$21.97SEK 218
-65.41%
Apples(1kg)
$3.30₱208
$3.18SEK 31.53
3.77%
Banana(1kg)
$1.39₱87.8
$2.03SEK 20.08
-31.53%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.33₱147
$2.45SEK 24.29
-4.90%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.50₱94.3
$2.92SEK 28.93
-48.63%
Potato(1kg)
$2.36₱149
$1.47SEK 14.54
60.54%
Onion(1kg)
$1.90₱119
$1.87SEK 18.49
1.60%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.19₱74.9
$2.11SEK 20.94
-43.60%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63₱39.71
$1.02SEK 10.09
-38.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00₱189
$7.38SEK 73.1
-59.35%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.03₱379
$13.19SEK 131
-54.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23₱77.7
$1.37SEK 13.57
-10.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75₱110
$2.20SEK 21.82
-20.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Solna
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.25₱15.86
$4.17SEK 41.30
-94.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$12.64₱796
$95.7SEK 948
-86.79%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.77₱48.62
$3.56SEK 35.24
-78.37%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.23₱14.53
$2.51SEK 24.83
-90.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$4.46₱281
$80.4SEK 796
-94.45%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31₱82.8
$1.80SEK 17.87
-27.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K₱1.3M
$33.4KSEK 330.5K
-36.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K₱1.2M
$32.4KSEK 320.9K
-40.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Solna
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$120₱7,569
$103SEK 1,022
16.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00₱882
$22.72SEK 225
-38.38%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54₱1,734
$40.38SEK 400
-31.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Solna
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$32.33₱2,035
$37.85SEK 375
-14.58%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65₱419
$26.05SEK 258
-74.47%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65₱356
$14.67SEK 145
-61.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Solna
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$275₱17.3K
$152SEK 1,505
81.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,918₱498.5K
$5,015SEK 49.7K
57.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Solna
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33₱3,106
$105SEK 1,039
-52.95%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24₱1,589
$40.38SEK 400
-37.49%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$77.0₱4,846
$86.8SEK 860
-11.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2₱3,601
$135SEK 1,334
-57.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Solna
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$500₱31.5K
$794SEK 7,869
-37.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$309₱19.4K
$619SEK 6,132
-50.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,078₱67.9K
$1,354SEK 13.4K
-20.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$615₱38.7K
$1,032SEK 10.2K
-40.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,886₱181.7K
$6,838SEK 67.7K
-57.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,917₱120.7K
$2,815SEK 27.9K
-31.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Solna
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$346₱21.8K
$3,500SEK 34.7K
-90.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.2
3.53
103.97%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Last update for Solna: October 11, 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 33.6%
Solna
$619 35.2% ↑ 100%$310
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206 22.4%
Solna
$345 19.6% ↑ 67.4%$139
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162 17.6%
Solna
$166 9.4% ↑ 2.8%$4.5
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94 10.2%
Solna
$165 9.4% ↑ 75.7%$71
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$88 9.6%
Solna
$270 15.3% ↑ 206%$182
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44 4.8%
Solna
$67 3.8% ↑ 54%$24
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$16 1.7%
Solna
$128 7.3% ↑ 725%$113
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$615 32.4%
Solna
$1K 28% ↑ 67.7%$416
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$483 25.4%
Solna
$805 21.9% ↑ 66.7%$322
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$176 9.3%
Solna
$189 5.1% ↑ 7.5%$13
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$209 11%
Solna
$367 10% ↑ 75.7%$158
🍽Eating Out
Cebu
$292 15.4%
Solna
$865 23.5% ↑ 196%$573
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$94 4.9%
Solna
$160 4.4% ↑ 70.9%$67
🚌Getting Around
Cebu
$32 1.7%
Solna
$265 7.2% ↑ 738%$234
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $794 in Solna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Solna pays 912% 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 Solna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $345 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 Solna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Solna cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Solna?
On paper, salaries run 912% lower in Solna. 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 Solna?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $794 in Solna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Solna?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,760 in Solna – a 92% 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 657% less than in Solna. 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 Solna?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,760 in Solna, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Solna. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Solna more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Solna, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Solna?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Solna 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 92% less than in Solna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.