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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $772 in Albay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,205 in Albay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,638 in Albay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 206% more expensive than Albay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Albay is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.49 ₱215

403.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$18.06 ₱1,113

278.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$3.33 ₱205

322.22%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.46 ₱152

13.01%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.77 ₱47.44

263.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.39 ₱24.14

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.35 ₱83.3

230.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.09 ₱129

120.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.92 ₱119

-35.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.21 ₱74.5

67.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.96 ₱59.1

100.00%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.06 ₱127

60.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$7.99 ₱493

130.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.15 ₱256

128.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.50 ₱462

155.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.85 ₱176

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.58 ₱97.7

55.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.69 ₱166

-21.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.57 ₱96.6

81.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.20 ₱135

-7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.53 ₱156

-26.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.07 ₱65.7

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.72 ₱44.23

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.78 ₱172

156.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.52 ₱526

-7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.20 ₱73.9

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.96 ₱121

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.28 ₱17.28

964.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.81 ₱50.1

467.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.24 ₱14.85

762.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.18 ₱134

1238.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.14 ₱70.0

61.40%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.5K ₱1.6M

47.18%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

60.20%

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

$188 €162

$110 ₱6,806

70.16%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$32.34 ₱1,994

-29.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$27.56 ₱1,699

33.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$33.25 ₱2,050

72.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$4.51 ₱278

358.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.87 ₱362

90.63%

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

$721 €620

$152 ₱9,356

375.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,241 ₱261.5K

254.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$45.77 ₱2,822

88.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$26.78 ₱1,651

38.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$75.8 ₱4,674

34.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$53.3 ₱3,287

117.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$268 ₱16.5K

472.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$177 ₱10.9K

589.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$594 ₱36.6K

353.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$402 ₱24.8K

401.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,794 ₱172.3K

158.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$889 ₱54.8K

483.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$163 ₱10.0K

1349.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.67

-49.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Albay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $268 in Albay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1349% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Albay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $204 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 206% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $772 including rent). Albay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1349% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $268 in Albay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $152 in Albay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Albay – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Albay versus $2,367 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 206% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.