Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsingborg and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $1,723 in Helsingborg, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Helsingborg
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Helsingborg Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Helsingborg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,723

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsingborg 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 Helsingborg and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,723 in Helsingborg versus $934 in Cebu.

Helsingborg $1,723
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,599 in Helsingborg versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Helsingborg $2,599
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,474 in Helsingborg versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Helsingborg $3,474
Cebu $1,896

Living in Helsingborg is roughly 85% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Helsingborg is 29% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.83 SEK 128

$3.03 ₱190

323.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 SEK 689

$23.48 ₱1,473

193.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 SEK 124

$4.09 ₱256

202.20%

Cappuccino

$4.61 SEK 46.08

$2.52 ₱158

82.94%

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

$2.91 SEK 29.10

$1.54 ₱96.9

88.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 SEK 23.17

$0.49 ₱30.98

373.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.77 SEK 67.7

$1.79 ₱112

278.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 SEK 60.9

$2.26 ₱142

169.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 SEK 14.28

$1.95 ₱122

-26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 SEK 27.00

$1.43 ₱89.7

88.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 30.05

$1.02 ₱63.8

195.10%

Eggs

$3.86 SEK 38.60

$2.06 ₱129

87.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 SEK 112

$9.81 ₱615

13.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.95 SEK 109

$4.61 ₱289

137.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 SEK 147

$7.70 ₱483

91.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 SEK 30.06

$3.31 ₱207

-9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 SEK 24.37

$1.45 ₱90.9

68.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 30.14

$2.36 ₱148

27.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 SEK 44.11

$1.54 ₱96.4

186.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 SEK 16.28

$2.36 ₱148

-30.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 15.19

$1.99 ₱125

-23.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 SEK 18.08

$1.15 ₱72.1

57.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 SEK 16.45

$0.67 ₱42.15

146.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.19 SEK 81.8

$3.00 ₱188

173.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.30 SEK 92.9

$6.35 ₱398

46.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 20.33

$1.31 ₱81.9

54.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 SEK 21.59

$1.73 ₱108

24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 SEK 31.24

$0.25 ₱15.78

1152.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.6 SEK 626

$12.65 ₱793

394.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 SEK 62.0

$0.74 ₱46.32

737.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 SEK 16.94

$0.21 ₱13.11

704.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 SEK 594

$4.33 ₱271

1273.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 SEK 17.53

$1.33 ₱83.5

31.58%

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

$32.2K SEK 322.2K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

48.11%

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

$33.0K SEK 329.7K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

70.09%

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

$104 SEK 1,041

$121 ₱7,563

-13.58%

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

$19.28 SEK 193

$14.45 ₱907

33.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.29 SEK 333

$28.29 ₱1,774

17.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.67 SEK 377

$32.68 ₱2,050

15.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.86 SEK 218

$6.39 ₱401

242.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 SEK 148

$5.46 ₱342

171.98%

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

$172 SEK 1,721

$273 ₱17.1K

-37.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,156 ₱511.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 SEK 786

$49.57 ₱3,109

58.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 SEK 332

$24.87 ₱1,560

33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 SEK 858

$76.6 ₱4,804

12.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 SEK 1,091

$59.3 ₱3,717

84.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 SEK 8,294

$506 ₱31.7K

64.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 SEK 6,315

$309 ₱19.4K

104.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 SEK 13.6K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

29.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 SEK 10.6K

$619 ₱38.8K

71.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,047 SEK 30.5K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

4.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,288 SEK 22.9K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

22.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,855 SEK 28.5K

$341 ₱21.4K

737.19%

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 Helsingborg: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helsingborg

$632 37.6%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 51% $322

Groceries & Markets

Helsingborg

$333 19.8%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 36.8% $123

Eating Out

Helsingborg

$262 15.6%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 66.3% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsingborg

$157 9.3%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 4.2% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Helsingborg

$138 8.2%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 31.5% $43

Getting Around

Helsingborg

$90 5.4%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 82.8% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Helsingborg

$67 4%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 35.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $830 in Helsingborg and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsingborg pays 737% 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: $69.0 in Helsingborg vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Helsingborg

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

13:23 1:23 PM

6 h ahead of Helsingborg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,838

964,169

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.92 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 = 9.99 SEK (1 SEK = 0.1 USD). 1 EUR = 11.21 SEK (100 SEK = 8.92 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Helsingborg Cebu 10,330 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Helsingborg
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

Helsingborg vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 737% higher in Helsingborg, 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: $830 in Helsingborg versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,723 per month in Helsingborg versus $934 in Cebu – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 395% less than in Helsingborg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $1,723 in Helsingborg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Helsingborg. 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 Helsingborg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Helsingborg 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 85% less than in Helsingborg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.