Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Varberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $915 a month against $1,648 in Varberg, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Varberg
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Varberg Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$915

/mo nomad

Varberg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Varberg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $915 in Cebu versus $1,648 in Varberg.

Cebu $915
Varberg $1,648

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,418 in Cebu versus $2,641 in Varberg.

Cebu $1,418
Varberg $2,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Cebu versus $3,635 in Varberg.

Cebu $1,921
Varberg $3,635

Living in Cebu costs roughly 45% less than in Varberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 33% below, Varberg is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ₱192

$15.26 SEK 151

-80.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ₱1,511

$75.9 SEK 752

-68.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.99 ₱251

$10.34 SEK 102

-61.41%

Cappuccino

$2.50 ₱157

$3.80 SEK 37.70

-34.21%

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

$1.54 ₱97.1

$1.13 SEK 11.16

36.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.37

$1.05 SEK 10.40

-52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$6.17 SEK 61.1

-71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱136

$7.75 SEK 76.8

-72.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₱126

$1.50 SEK 14.85

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ₱86.2

$2.88 SEK 28.58

-52.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ₱64.9

$3.46 SEK 34.30

-70.23%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$4.11 SEK 40.72

-50.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 ₱642

$13.20 SEK 131

-22.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₱280

$11.23 SEK 111

-60.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 ₱483

$20.15 SEK 200

-61.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 ₱208

$2.93 SEK 28.99

12.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 ₱91.8

$2.49 SEK 24.62

-41.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ₱146

$3.09 SEK 30.60

-24.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 ₱94.0

$4.23 SEK 41.89

-64.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 ₱147

$1.55 SEK 15.36

50.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$1.56 SEK 15.46

24.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 ₱73.0

$2.57 SEK 25.43

-54.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.89

$1.04 SEK 10.28

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 ₱188

$6.66 SEK 66.0

-55.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 ₱393

$10.21 SEK 101

-38.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.3

$1.96 SEK 19.46

-37.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱109

$1.24 SEK 12.32

39.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₱14.36

$2.86 SEK 28.38

-91.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 ₱777

$78.1 SEK 774

-84.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 ₱49.96

$5.15 SEK 51.0

-84.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.86

$2.40 SEK 23.75

-90.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 ₱286

$49.91 SEK 495

-90.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.81 SEK 17.94

-27.07%

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

$21.0K ₱1.3M

$33.4K SEK 331.0K

-37.11%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$34.4K SEK 341.0K

-43.61%

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

$119 ₱7,464

$140 SEK 1,390

-15.47%

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

$14.22 ₱896

$19.77 SEK 196

-28.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 ₱1,730

$30.07 SEK 298

-8.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 ₱2,034

$39.66 SEK 393

-18.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.50 ₱409

$40.53 SEK 402

-83.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 ₱340

$16.16 SEK 160

-66.58%

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

$276 ₱17.4K

$152 SEK 1,505

81.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,866 ₱495.3K

$3,359 SEK 33.3K

134.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 ₱3,108

$70.7 SEK 700

-30.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.58 ₱1,548

$40.44 SEK 401

-39.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 ₱4,825

$113 SEK 1,115

-31.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 ₱3,706

$151 SEK 1,498

-61.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₱31.7K

$791 SEK 7,839

-36.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ₱19.2K

$500 SEK 4,956

-39.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 ₱67.7K

$1,195 SEK 11.8K

-10.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 ₱39.8K

$924 SEK 9,152

-31.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 ₱180.7K

$6,614 SEK 65.5K

-56.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₱118.2K

$3,563 SEK 35.3K

-47.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 ₱21.1K

$3,170 SEK 31.4K

-89.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

1.9

278.95%

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

Last update for Cebu: October 19, 2026

Last update for Varberg: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$305 33.3%

Varberg

$500 30.4% 64.3% $196

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$210 22.9%

Varberg

$357 21.6% 70.1% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$160 17.5%

Varberg

$190 11.5% 18.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.3%

Varberg

$169 10.2% 79% $74

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Varberg

$254 15.4% 189% $166

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$43 4.7%

Varberg

$72 4.4% 67% $29

Getting Around

Cebu

$15 1.7%

Varberg

$107 6.5% 604% $92

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Cebu and $791 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 844% 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 $76.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $357 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇪 Varberg

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

11:34 11:34 AM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

27,602

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Varberg 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Varberg

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 Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 844% lower in Varberg. 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: $503 in Cebu versus $791 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $915 per month in Cebu versus $1,648 in Varberg – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 533% less than in Varberg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Cebu versus $1,648 in Varberg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Varberg. 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 Varberg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Varberg 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 80% less than in Varberg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.