Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gothenburg and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,042 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,042

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gothenburg and in Cebu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gothenburg and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,042 in Gothenburg versus $934 in Cebu.

Gothenburg $2,042
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,064 in Gothenburg versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Gothenburg $3,064
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Gothenburg versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Gothenburg $4,086
Cebu $1,896

Living in Gothenburg is roughly 119% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gothenburg is 52% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 SEK 128

$3.03 ₱191

323.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 SEK 832

$23.48 ₱1,476

255.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 SEK 122

$4.09 ₱257

198.29%

Cappuccino

$4.81 SEK 47.97

$2.52 ₱158

90.87%

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

$2.81 SEK 28.02

$1.54 ₱97.2

82.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 SEK 22.40

$0.49 ₱31.06

359.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 SEK 70.5

$1.79 ₱113

294.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 SEK 72.6

$2.26 ₱142

222.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 SEK 16.43

$1.95 ₱122

-15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 SEK 28.05

$1.43 ₱89.9

96.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 SEK 32.17

$1.02 ₱64.0

216.67%

Eggs

$3.75 SEK 37.35

$2.06 ₱129

82.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.21 SEK 112

$9.81 ₱617

14.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 SEK 115

$4.61 ₱290

149.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.27 SEK 162

$7.70 ₱484

111.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 SEK 29.78

$3.31 ₱208

-9.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 SEK 24.92

$1.45 ₱91.2

72.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 SEK 29.72

$2.36 ₱148

26.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 SEK 43.16

$1.54 ₱96.6

181.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 SEK 17.98

$2.36 ₱148

-23.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 SEK 16.82

$1.99 ₱125

-15.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 SEK 19.61

$1.15 ₱72.3

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 SEK 15.70

$0.67 ₱42.26

134.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 SEK 81.4

$3.00 ₱189

172.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 SEK 147

$6.35 ₱399

131.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 SEK 19.83

$1.31 ₱82.1

51.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SEK 22.35

$1.73 ₱109

29.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.59 SEK 35.80

$0.25 ₱15.82

1336.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.4 SEK 861

$12.65 ₱796

582.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 SEK 60.1

$0.74 ₱46.44

714.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 SEK 16.39

$0.21 ₱13.15

680.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.9 SEK 587

$4.33 ₱272

1259.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 17.19

$1.33 ₱83.7

29.32%

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

$32.4K SEK 322.9K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

48.82%

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

$33.4K SEK 332.8K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

72.12%

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

$101 SEK 1,010

$121 ₱7,583

-15.98%

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

$19.36 SEK 193

$14.45 ₱909

33.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.87 SEK 338

$28.29 ₱1,779

19.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.60 SEK 345

$32.68 ₱2,055

5.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.33 SEK 243

$6.39 ₱402

280.75%

Cinema Ticket

$18.36 SEK 183

$5.46 ₱343

236.26%

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

$223 SEK 2,223

$273 ₱17.2K

-18.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,448 SEK 44.3K

$8,156 ₱512.9K

-45.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.0 SEK 867

$49.57 ₱3,117

75.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.02 SEK 329

$24.87 ₱1,564

32.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 SEK 855

$76.6 ₱4,817

11.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 SEK 1,319

$59.3 ₱3,727

123.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 SEK 10.3K

$506 ₱31.8K

104.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$928 SEK 9,250

$309 ₱19.5K

199.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 SEK 17.6K

$1,052 ₱66.1K

68.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 SEK 13.8K

$619 ₱38.9K

123.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,117 SEK 61.0K

$2,915 ₱183.4K

109.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,377 SEK 33.7K

$1,867 ₱117.4K

80.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,444 SEK 34.3K

$341 ₱21.5K

909.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.06

7.2

-57.50%

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

Last update for Gothenburg: October 3, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gothenburg

$928 45.4%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 66.7% $618

Groceries & Markets

Gothenburg

$355 17.4%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 40.8% $145

Eating Out

Gothenburg

$267 13.1%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 66.9% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gothenburg

$155 7.6%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 5.7% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Gothenburg

$152 7.4%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 37.8% $58

Getting Around

Gothenburg

$115 5.6%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 86.6% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Gothenburg

$71 3.5%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 38.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,035 in Gothenburg and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gothenburg pays 910% 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: $83.0 in Gothenburg vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

12:58 12:58 PM

6 h ahead of Gothenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,882

964,169

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.03 USD

100 SEK = 8.94 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇪 Swedish Krona (kr)

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 9.97 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.18 SEK (100 SEK = 8.94 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.54 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gothenburg Cebu 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Gothenburg
Cebu

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

Gothenburg vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 910% higher in Gothenburg, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,035 in Gothenburg versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,042 per month in Gothenburg versus $934 in Cebu – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 583% less than in Gothenburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $2,042 in Gothenburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Gothenburg. 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 Gothenburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gothenburg and Cebu 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 119% less than in Gothenburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.