For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,760 in Solna, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Solna and in Cebu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,760 in Solna versus $918 in Cebu.
Solna $1,760
Cebu $918
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Solna versus $1,409 in Cebu.
Solna $2,721
Cebu $1,409
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,682 in Solna versus $1,900 in Cebu.
Solna $3,682
Cebu $1,900
🌍
Living in Solna is roughly 92% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Solna is 30% above, Cebu is 32% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Solna
Cebu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.11SEK 140
$3.09₱194
356.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0SEK 653
$24.22₱1,525
172.30%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.19SEK 111
$3.92₱247
185.46%
Cappuccino
$4.74SEK 46.94
$2.51₱158
88.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26SEK 22.44
$1.59₱100
42.14%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42SEK 14.10
$0.53₱33.43
167.92%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.48SEK 74.1
$1.78₱112
320.22%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.32SEK 72.5
$2.17₱137
237.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Solna
Cebu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.38SEK 13.71
$1.92₱121
-28.13%
White Bread(500g)
$2.54SEK 25.13
$1.36₱85.4
86.76%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.51SEK 34.82
$1.01₱63.5
247.52%
Eggs
$3.88SEK 38.47
$2.03₱128
91.13%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.11SEK 90.2
$9.86₱621
-7.61%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$12.75SEK 126
$4.39₱277
190.43%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$21.97SEK 218
$7.60₱479
189.08%
Apples(1kg)
$3.18SEK 31.53
$3.30₱208
-3.64%
Banana(1kg)
$2.03SEK 20.08
$1.39₱87.8
46.04%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.45SEK 24.29
$2.33₱147
5.15%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.92SEK 28.93
$1.50₱94.3
94.67%
Potato(1kg)
$1.47SEK 14.54
$2.36₱149
-37.71%
Onion(1kg)
$1.87SEK 18.49
$1.90₱119
-1.58%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.11SEK 20.94
$1.19₱74.9
77.31%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02SEK 10.09
$0.63₱39.71
61.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.38SEK 73.1
$3.00₱189
146.00%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.19SEK 131
$6.03₱379
118.74%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37SEK 13.57
$1.23₱77.7
11.38%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20SEK 21.82
$1.75₱110
25.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Solna
Cebu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$4.17SEK 41.30
$0.25₱15.86
1568.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$95.7SEK 948
$12.64₱796
656.80%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.56SEK 35.24
$0.77₱48.62
362.34%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.51SEK 24.83
$0.23₱14.53
991.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$80.4SEK 796
$4.46₱281
1701.57%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.80SEK 17.87
$1.31₱82.8
37.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4KSEK 330.5K
$21.2K₱1.3M
57.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.4KSEK 320.9K
$19.1K₱1.2M
69.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Solna
Cebu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$103SEK 1,022
$120₱7,569
-14.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.72SEK 225
$14.00₱882
62.29%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.38SEK 400
$27.54₱1,734
46.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Solna
Cebu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$37.85SEK 375
$32.33₱2,035
17.07%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.05SEK 258
$6.65₱419
291.73%
Cinema Ticket
$14.67SEK 145
$5.65₱356
159.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Solna
Cebu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$152SEK 1,505
$275₱17.3K
-44.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,015SEK 49.7K
$7,918₱498.5K
-36.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Solna
Cebu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105SEK 1,039
$49.33₱3,106
112.53%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.38SEK 400
$25.24₱1,589
59.98%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$86.8SEK 860
$77.0₱4,846
12.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135SEK 1,334
$57.2₱3,601
135.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Solna
Cebu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$794SEK 7,869
$500₱31.5K
58.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$619SEK 6,132
$309₱19.4K
100.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,354SEK 13.4K
$1,078₱67.9K
25.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,032SEK 10.2K
$615₱38.7K
67.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$6,838SEK 67.7K
$2,886₱181.7K
136.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,815SEK 27.9K
$1,917₱120.7K
46.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Solna
Cebu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,500SEK 34.7K
$346₱21.8K
911.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.53
7.2
-50.97%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Solna: October 11, 2026
Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Solna
$619 35.2%
Cebu
$309 33.6% ↓ 50.1%$310
🛒Groceries & Markets
Solna
$345 19.6%
Cebu
$206 22.4% ↓ 40.3%$139
🍽Eating Out
Solna
$270 15.3%
Cebu
$88 9.6% ↓ 67.3%$182
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Solna
$166 9.4%
Cebu
$162 17.6% ↓ 2.7%$4.5
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Solna
$165 9.4%
Cebu
$94 10.2% ↓ 43.1%$71
🚌Getting Around
Solna
$128 7.3%
Cebu
$16 1.7% ↓ 87.9%$113
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Solna
$67 3.8%
Cebu
$44 4.8% ↓ 35.1%$24
🏠Accommodation & Living
Solna
$1K 28%
Cebu
$615 32.4% ↓ 40.4%$416
🛒Groceries & Markets
Solna
$805 21.9%
Cebu
$483 25.4% ↓ 40%$322
🍽Eating Out
Solna
$865 23.5%
Cebu
$292 15.4% ↓ 66.2%$573
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Solna
$189 5.1%
Cebu
$176 9.3% ↓ 7%$13
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Solna
$367 10%
Cebu
$209 11% ↓ 43.1%$158
🚌Getting Around
Solna
$265 7.2%
Cebu
$32 1.7% ↓ 88.1%$234
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Solna
$160 4.4%
Cebu
$94 4.9% ↓ 41.5%$67
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Solna and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Solna pays 912% 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: $66.0 in Solna vs $24.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $206 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.
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
Solna vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cebu cheaper than Solna?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Solna or Cebu?
Average pay runs 912% higher in Solna, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Solna and Cebu?
Rent for a central apartment: $794 in Solna versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Solna and in Cebu?
All in, you'll spend $1,760 per month in Solna versus $918 in Cebu – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 657% less than in Solna. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Solna or in Cebu?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,760 in Solna, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Solna. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Solna or Cebu more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Solna, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Solna or Cebu?
Safety-wise, Solna 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Solna. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.