Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kista and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,726 in Kista, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Kista
Learn more

Kista Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

Jump to prices

Kista

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,726

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,726 in Kista versus $918 in Cebu.

Kista $1,726
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,685 in Kista versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Kista $2,685
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,644 in Kista versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Kista $3,644
Cebu $1,900

Living in Kista is roughly 88% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kista is 28% above, Cebu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 SEK 129

$3.09 ₱194

320.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 SEK 752

$24.22 ₱1,525

213.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 SEK 101

$3.92 ₱247

160.71%

Cappuccino

$4.44 SEK 44.02

$2.51 ₱158

76.89%

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

$2.59 SEK 25.65

$1.59 ₱100

62.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 SEK 21.83

$0.53 ₱33.43

315.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 SEK 70.1

$1.78 ₱112

297.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 SEK 72.1

$2.17 ₱137

235.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 SEK 16.27

$1.92 ₱121

-14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 26.68

$1.36 ₱85.4

97.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 SEK 34.75

$1.01 ₱63.5

247.52%

Eggs

$4.24 SEK 42.04

$2.03 ₱128

108.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 SEK 116

$9.86 ₱621

18.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 SEK 115

$4.39 ₱277

164.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 SEK 172

$7.60 ₱479

128.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 SEK 30.22

$3.30 ₱208

-7.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 SEK 24.53

$1.39 ₱87.8

78.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 SEK 28.60

$2.33 ₱147

24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 SEK 42.59

$1.50 ₱94.3

186.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 SEK 16.01

$2.36 ₱149

-31.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 SEK 15.49

$1.90 ₱119

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 SEK 22.56

$1.19 ₱74.9

91.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 SEK 14.33

$0.63 ₱39.71

130.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.22 SEK 71.6

$3.00 ₱189

140.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 SEK 96.0

$6.03 ₱379

60.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 SEK 19.29

$1.23 ₱77.7

58.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 SEK 21.15

$1.75 ₱110

21.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 SEK 32.41

$0.25 ₱15.86

1208.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.2 SEK 755

$12.64 ₱796

502.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 SEK 59.5

$0.77 ₱48.62

680.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 SEK 16.99

$0.23 ₱14.53

643.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 SEK 579

$4.46 ₱281

1209.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.70

$1.31 ₱82.8

36.64%

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

$32.5K SEK 322.2K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

53.06%

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

$33.1K SEK 327.9K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

72.83%

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

$102 SEK 1,013

$120 ₱7,569

-14.99%

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

$23.99 SEK 238

$14.00 ₱882

71.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.81 SEK 375

$27.54 ₱1,734

37.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.48 SEK 371

$32.33 ₱2,035

15.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.74 SEK 255

$6.65 ₱419

287.07%

Cinema Ticket

$16.18 SEK 160

$5.65 ₱356

186.37%

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

$154 SEK 1,522

$275 ₱17.3K

-44.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,003 SEK 49.6K

$7,918 ₱498.5K

-36.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 SEK 898

$49.33 ₱3,106

83.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.01 SEK 396

$25.24 ₱1,589

58.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 SEK 885

$77.0 ₱4,846

16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 SEK 1,383

$57.2 ₱3,601

143.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 SEK 7,877

$500 ₱31.5K

59.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 SEK 6,131

$309 ₱19.4K

100.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,317 SEK 13.0K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

22.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 SEK 10.1K

$615 ₱38.7K

65.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,969 SEK 39.3K

$2,886 ₱181.7K

37.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 SEK 27.2K

$1,917 ₱120.7K

43.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.45

7.2

-52.08%

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

Last update for Kista: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kista

$619 35.9%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 50.1% $310

Groceries & Markets

Kista

$351 20.3%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 41.3% $145

Eating Out

Kista

$257 14.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 65.6% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kista

$164 9.5%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 1.4% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Kista

$162 9.4%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 41.9% $68

Getting Around

Kista

$104 6%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 85% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Kista

$70 4.1%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 37.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $795 in Kista and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Kista vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Kista

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

15:27 3:27 PM

6 h ahead of Kista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,254

964,169

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.09 USD

100 SEK = 8.98 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kista Cebu 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Kista
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

Kista vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,589 in Kista and $1,377 in Cebu 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: $795 in Kista versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,726 per month in Kista versus $918 in Cebu – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 503% less than in Kista. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $918 in Cebu versus $1,726 in Kista, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Kista. 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 Kista, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kista 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 88% less than in Kista. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.