Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Stockholm

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,548 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
Learn more

Stockholm Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Stockholm

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $934 in Cebu versus $2,548 in Stockholm.

Cebu $934
Stockholm $2,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Cebu versus $3,806 in Stockholm.

Cebu $1,415
Stockholm $3,806

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Cebu versus $5,064 in Stockholm.

Cebu $1,896
Stockholm $5,064

Living in Cebu costs roughly 63% less than in Stockholm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 30% below, Stockholm is 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 ₱190

$18.26 SEK 182

-83.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.48 ₱1,473

$97.8 SEK 978

-76.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.09 ₱256

$11.71 SEK 117

-65.07%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₱158

$4.89 SEK 48.92

-48.47%

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

$1.54 ₱96.9

$3.72 SEK 37.15

-58.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₱30.98

$3.03 SEK 30.29

-83.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₱112

$8.16 SEK 81.5

-78.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₱142

$8.96 SEK 89.5

-74.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 ₱122

$1.81 SEK 18.05

7.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ₱89.7

$3.84 SEK 38.41

-62.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ₱63.8

$3.75 SEK 37.52

-72.80%

Eggs

$2.06 ₱129

$5.04 SEK 50.4

-59.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 ₱615

$12.90 SEK 129

-23.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.61 ₱289

$12.70 SEK 127

-63.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱483

$21.70 SEK 217

-64.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱207

$3.61 SEK 36.03

-8.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ₱90.9

$2.80 SEK 27.97

-48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.14 SEK 31.36

-24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ₱96.4

$4.36 SEK 43.52

-64.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$1.70 SEK 16.99

38.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 ₱125

$1.78 SEK 17.83

11.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ₱72.1

$2.51 SEK 25.06

-54.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.15

$2.43 SEK 24.33

-72.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱188

$8.52 SEK 85.1

-64.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱398

$11.83 SEK 118

-46.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₱81.9

$2.03 SEK 20.29

-35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱108

$2.55 SEK 25.49

-32.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.78

$4.31 SEK 43.11

-94.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.65 ₱793

$106 SEK 1,059

-88.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 ₱46.32

$5.83 SEK 58.3

-87.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.11

$1.51 SEK 15.09

-86.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 ₱271

$56.0 SEK 560

-92.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₱83.5

$1.79 SEK 17.90

-25.70%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$33.3K SEK 332.8K

-34.65%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$34.1K SEK 340.4K

-43.05%

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

$121 ₱7,563

$248 SEK 2,479

-51.39%

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

$14.45 ₱907

$21.17 SEK 212

-31.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 ₱1,774

$39.91 SEK 399

-29.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.68 ₱2,050

$47.51 SEK 475

-31.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.39 ₱401

$38.80 SEK 388

-83.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.46 ₱342

$19.19 SEK 192

-71.55%

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

$273 ₱17.1K

$159 SEK 1,585

72.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

$16.4K SEK 163.7K

-50.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 ₱3,109

$112 SEK 1,119

-55.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.87 ₱1,560

$57.4 SEK 574

-56.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,804

$134 SEK 1,340

-42.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 ₱3,717

$181 SEK 1,809

-67.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₱31.7K

$1,694 SEK 16.9K

-70.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$1,088 SEK 10.9K

-71.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 ₱66.0K

$2,985 SEK 29.8K

-64.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 ₱38.8K

$1,782 SEK 17.8K

-65.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 ₱182.9K

$11.1K SEK 111.4K

-73.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,867 ₱117.1K

$6,326 SEK 63.2K

-70.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ₱21.4K

$3,501 SEK 35.0K

-90.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

3.37

113.65%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Last update for Stockholm: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.5%

Stockholm

$1.1K 42.2% 252% $779

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.7%

Stockholm

$415 16.1% 97.2% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$163 17.7%

Stockholm

$309 12% 89.3% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$95 10.2%

Stockholm

$218 8.5% 130% $123

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Stockholm

$326 12.6% 268% $237

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.7%

Stockholm

$86 3.3% 97% $42

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Stockholm

$137 5.3% 785% $121

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Cebu and $1,694 in Stockholm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 927% 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: $23.00 in Cebu vs $98.0 in Stockholm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $415 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

12:12 12:12 PM

6 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

984,748 Capital

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.93 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Stockholm 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Stockholm

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 Stockholm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 173% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 927% lower in Stockholm. 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: $506 in Cebu versus $1,694 in Stockholm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $934 per month in Cebu versus $2,548 in Stockholm – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 738% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $2,548 in Stockholm, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. 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 Stockholm, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Stockholm 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 173% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.