Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockholm and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $934 a month against $2,548 in Stockholm, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Stockholm
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Stockholm Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Stockholm

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,548

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Stockholm versus $934 in Cebu.

Stockholm $2,548
Cebu $934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,806 in Stockholm versus $1,415 in Cebu.

Stockholm $3,806
Cebu $1,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,064 in Stockholm versus $1,896 in Cebu.

Stockholm $5,064
Cebu $1,896

Living in Stockholm is roughly 173% more expensive than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Stockholm is 90% above, Cebu is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 SEK 182

$3.03 ₱190

502.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.8 SEK 978

$23.48 ₱1,473

316.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 SEK 117

$4.09 ₱256

186.31%

Cappuccino

$4.89 SEK 48.92

$2.52 ₱158

94.05%

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

$3.72 SEK 37.15

$1.54 ₱96.9

141.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 SEK 30.29

$0.49 ₱30.98

518.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 SEK 81.5

$1.79 ₱112

355.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.96 SEK 89.5

$2.26 ₱142

296.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 18.05

$1.95 ₱122

-7.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 SEK 38.41

$1.43 ₱89.7

168.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 SEK 37.52

$1.02 ₱63.8

267.65%

Eggs

$5.04 SEK 50.4

$2.06 ₱129

144.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 SEK 129

$9.81 ₱615

31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.70 SEK 127

$4.61 ₱289

175.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.70 SEK 217

$7.70 ₱483

181.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 SEK 36.03

$3.31 ₱207

9.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 SEK 27.97

$1.45 ₱90.9

93.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 SEK 31.36

$2.36 ₱148

33.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 SEK 43.52

$1.54 ₱96.4

183.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 SEK 16.99

$2.36 ₱148

-27.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 SEK 17.83

$1.99 ₱125

-10.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 SEK 25.06

$1.15 ₱72.1

118.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 SEK 24.33

$0.67 ₱42.15

262.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.52 SEK 85.1

$3.00 ₱188

184.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 SEK 118

$6.35 ₱398

86.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 SEK 20.29

$1.31 ₱81.9

54.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 SEK 25.49

$1.73 ₱108

47.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 SEK 43.11

$0.25 ₱15.78

1624.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 SEK 1,059

$12.65 ₱793

737.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 SEK 58.3

$0.74 ₱46.32

687.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 SEK 15.09

$0.21 ₱13.11

619.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$56.0 SEK 560

$4.33 ₱271

1193.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SEK 17.90

$1.33 ₱83.5

34.59%

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

$33.3K SEK 332.8K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

53.01%

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

$34.1K SEK 340.4K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

75.59%

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

$248 SEK 2,479

$121 ₱7,563

105.72%

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

$21.17 SEK 212

$14.45 ₱907

46.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.91 SEK 399

$28.29 ₱1,774

41.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.51 SEK 475

$32.68 ₱2,050

45.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.80 SEK 388

$6.39 ₱401

507.20%

Cinema Ticket

$19.19 SEK 192

$5.46 ₱342

251.47%

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

$159 SEK 1,585

$273 ₱17.1K

-41.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K SEK 163.7K

$8,156 ₱511.5K

100.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 SEK 1,119

$49.57 ₱3,109

125.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 SEK 574

$24.87 ₱1,560

130.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 SEK 1,340

$76.6 ₱4,804

75.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 SEK 1,809

$59.3 ₱3,717

205.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 SEK 16.9K

$506 ₱31.7K

234.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 SEK 10.9K

$309 ₱19.4K

251.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 SEK 29.8K

$1,052 ₱66.0K

183.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,782 SEK 17.8K

$619 ₱38.8K

187.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K SEK 111.4K

$2,915 ₱182.9K

282.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,326 SEK 63.2K

$1,867 ₱117.1K

238.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,501 SEK 35.0K

$341 ₱21.4K

926.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

7.2

-53.19%

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

Last update for Stockholm: 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

Stockholm

$1.1K 42.2%

Cebu

$309 33.5% 71.6% $779

Groceries & Markets

Stockholm

$415 16.1%

Cebu

$210 22.7% 49.3% $205

Eating Out

Stockholm

$326 12.6%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 72.9% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stockholm

$309 12%

Cebu

$163 17.7% 47.2% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Stockholm

$218 8.5%

Cebu

$95 10.2% 56.6% $123

Getting Around

Stockholm

$137 5.3%

Cebu

$15 1.7% 88.7% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Stockholm

$86 3.3%

Cebu

$44 4.7% 49.2% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,694 in Stockholm and $506 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockholm pays 927% 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: $98.0 in Stockholm vs $23.00 in Cebu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $210 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇪 Stockholm

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

18:10 6:10 PM

6 h ahead of Stockholm

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

984,748 Capital

964,169

💱 Currency

Swedish Krona SEK kr

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 SEK = 10.01 USD

100 SEK = 8.93 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 = 11.2 SEK (100 SEK = 8.93 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to SEK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Stockholm Cebu 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Stockholm
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

Stockholm vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 173% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 927% higher in Stockholm, 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: $1,694 in Stockholm versus $506 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,548 per month in Stockholm versus $934 in Cebu – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 738% less than in Stockholm. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $934 in Cebu versus $2,548 in Stockholm, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Stockholm. 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 Stockholm, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Stockholm 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 173% less than in Stockholm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.