Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Swabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Swabi: $521 a month against $943 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Swabi
Learn more

Swabi Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$943

/mo nomad

Swabi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$521

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Swabi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $943 in Cebu versus $521 in Swabi.

Cebu $943
Swabi $521

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Cebu versus $823 in Swabi.

Cebu $1,437
Swabi $823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,930 in Cebu versus $1,126 in Swabi.

Cebu $1,930
Swabi $1,126

Living in Cebu is roughly 81% more expensive than in Swabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 30% lower, Swabi 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ₱244

$3.69 PKR 1,022

5.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.22 ₱1,462

$23.29 PKR 6,442

-0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₱246

$5.38 PKR 1,488

-27.51%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 PKR 1,010

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 PKR 1,950

Cappuccino

$2.56 ₱161

$2.59 PKR 716

-1.16%

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

$1.60 ₱101

$0.34 PKR 94.7

370.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₱32.02

$0.21 PKR 57.8

142.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 ₱111

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ₱136

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 ₱125

$0.99 PKR 275

101.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.3

$0.76 PKR 211

80.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 ₱59.8

$1.30 PKR 359

-26.92%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱127

$1.21 PKR 335

66.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 ₱606

$6.12 PKR 1,692

57.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 ₱274

$3.13 PKR 865

38.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 ₱485

$5.45 PKR 1,508

41.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱207

$1.28 PKR 354

157.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ₱79.7

$0.88 PKR 242

44.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.04 PKR 286

125.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 ₱95.3

$0.56 PKR 154

169.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 ₱141

$0.29 PKR 80.8

668.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 ₱122

$0.38 PKR 105

407.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 ₱74.4

$0.28 PKR 77.1

321.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₱40.92

$0.42 PKR 117

54.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.78 PKR 494

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 PKR 334

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 PKR 674

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 ₱182

$2.37 PKR 655

21.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ₱400

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 ₱80.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₱103

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.42

$0.20 PKR 55.8

15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.24 ₱770

$9.87 PKR 2,730

24.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 ₱51.5

$1.23 PKR 340

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.56

$0.71 PKR 196

-71.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.32 ₱272

$1.66 PKR 460

160.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₱86.7

$1.37 PKR 380

0.73%

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

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

-0.51%

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

$19.3K ₱1.2M

$23.0K PKR 6.4M

-16.23%

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

$124 ₱7,814

$103 PKR 28.6K

20.03%

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

$15.93 ₱1,003

$5.86 PKR 1,621

171.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 ₱1,767

$16.97 PKR 4,693

65.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.41 ₱2,103

$14.65 PKR 4,053

128.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.40 ₱403

$7.87 PKR 2,178

-18.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ₱368

$4.92 PKR 1,362

18.90%

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

$271 ₱17.0K

$43.15 PKR 11.9K

527.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,060 ₱507.3K

$1,053 PKR 291.2K

665.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 ₱3,041

$26.20 PKR 7,246

84.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.56 ₱1,546

$34.47 PKR 9,533

-28.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ₱4,855

$94.7 PKR 26.2K

-18.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.5 ₱3,557

$40.03 PKR 11.1K

41.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 ₱31.2K

$135 PKR 37.2K

268.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.2K

$83.6 PKR 23.1K

284.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 ₱62.3K

$266 PKR 73.6K

272.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 ₱39.5K

$182 PKR 50.3K

245.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,459 ₱280.6K

$807 PKR 223.2K

452.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,030 ₱190.7K

$499 PKR 138.1K

506.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 ₱21.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

13.08

-44.95%

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

Last update for Cebu: November 2, 2026

Last update for Swabi: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$322 34.1%

Swabi

$84 16% 74% $238

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 21.8%

Swabi

$104 20% 49.3% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$168 17.8%

Swabi

$126 24.2% 24.9% $42

Eating Out

Cebu

$95 10.1%

Swabi

$79 15.2% 16.8% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$93 9.9%

Swabi

$88 16.9% 5.4% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$45 4.8%

Swabi

$25 4.7% 45.7% $21

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.6%

Swabi

$15 3% 3.2% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Cebu and $135 in Swabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Cebu vs $23 in Swabi. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $104, with Swabi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇵🇰 Swabi

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

07:30 7:30 AM

3 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

123,412

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 62.95 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.66 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Swabi 5,840 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Swabi

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 Swabi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swabi is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,415 in Cebu and $782 in Swabi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $495 in Cebu versus $135 in Swabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 97% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $943 per month in Cebu versus $521 in Swabi – Swabi is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $521 in Swabi versus $943 in Cebu, a $800 budget is realistic in Swabi but tight or insufficient in Cebu. The gap between the two cities makes Swabi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.