Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Albay Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Albay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $731 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,100 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,470 in Albay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 240% more expensive than in Albay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Albay is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.84

$3.65 ₱228

404.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.7

$16.73 ₱1,043

314.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.08

$2.77 ₱172

407.22%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$2.15 ₱134

44.65%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$0.59 ₱36.49

401.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.32 ₱19.77

509.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$1.09 ₱67.9

266.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$1.87 ₱116

147.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.68 ₱105

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.12 ₱69.9

88.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.91 ₱56.9

101.10%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$1.94 ₱121

165.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.10

$5.31 ₱331

230.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$4.16 ₱259

128.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.14

$7.34 ₱458

171.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$2.29 ₱143

38.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.57 ₱97.7

40.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$2.35 ₱147

11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.13 ₱70.7

152.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.12 ₱132

2.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.02 ₱126

4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.78 ₱48.91

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.52 ₱32.69

69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$2.89 ₱180

148.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$8.17 ₱510

1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.98 ₱60.9

53.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.01 ₱125

36.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.27 ₱16.86

1062.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.57

$11.14 ₱695

135.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$0.78 ₱48.58

312.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.25 ₱15.67

504.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.31

$1.89 ₱118

1765.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.13 ₱70.2

54.87%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$21.8K ₱1.4M

68.11%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

62.32%

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

$187 €161

$122 ₱7,636

52.81%

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

$15.10 €12.98

$15.25 ₱951

-0.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.33

$24.58 ₱1,533

52.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.71

$31.78 ₱1,982

74.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.39

$4.76 ₱297

251.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.07

$5.28 ₱329

121.78%

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

$1,011 €869

$135 ₱8,447

646.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$8,000 ₱498.9K

113.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$32.79 ₱2,045

178.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.25

$19.93 ₱1,243

105.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.1

$72.0 ₱4,487

53.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$56.6 ₱3,532

122.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,465

$269 ₱16.8K

534.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$173 ₱10.8K

652.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,225

$493 ₱30.7K

425.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,659

$356 ₱22.2K

442.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,648

$2,618 ₱163.3K

195.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,629

$1,025 ₱63.9K

425.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,041

$165 ₱10.3K

1339.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.75

-53.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Albay: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $269 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1339% 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 Barcelona vs $17.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $179 per month, with Albay cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Albay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Albay differ by about 240% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $731 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1339% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $269 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Albay versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albay but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Albay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Albay 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 Albay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 240% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.