Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bulacan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Bulacan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $709 in Bulacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,047 in Bulacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,385 in Bulacan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 227% more expensive than in Bulacan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Bulacan is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$2.63 ₱162

571.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$14.29 ₱879

387.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$2.86 ₱176

395.10%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.18 ₱134

28.44%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.68 ₱42.03

313.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.33 ₱20.57

524.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.04 ₱63.9

342.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.03 ₱125

131.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.04 ₱125

-39.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.24 ₱76.4

63.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.98 ₱60.4

102.04%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.99 ₱122

75.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$3.13 ₱193

485.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$3.49 ₱215

181.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$6.44 ₱397

197.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.17 ₱134

25.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.44 ₱88.9

65.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.11 ₱130

-1.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.47 ₱90.5

87.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.81 ₱112

8.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.51 ₱92.8

18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.83 ₱51.1

78.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.80 ₱49.24

13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.86 ₱176

149.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$3.68 ₱227

114.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.04 ₱64.3

32.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.71 ₱105

39.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.29 ₱17.92

937.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$7.30 ₱449

302.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.81 ₱50.1

438.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.22 ₱13.51

868.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$2.64 ₱162

1021.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.10 ₱67.5

65.45%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$27.3K ₱1.7M

38.77%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$14.8K ₱912.1K

118.57%

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

$189 €165

$113 ₱6,971

66.94%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$32.87 ₱2,023

-32.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$28.12 ₱1,731

32.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.87 ₱2,578

38.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$4.34 ₱267

376.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$6.05 ₱372

79.67%

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

$706 €618

$105 ₱6,493

569.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,301 ₱264.8K

245.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$30.11 ₱1,854

197.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$23.21 ₱1,429

57.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$75.5 ₱4,648

37.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$99.1 ₱6,103

20.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$259 ₱15.9K

509.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$135 ₱8,317

816.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$391 ₱24.1K

593.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$201 ₱12.4K

915.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$1,954 ₱120.3K

285.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$1,461 ₱90.0K

258.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$293 ₱18.0K

706.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.17

-45.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $259 in Bulacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 707% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $14.00 in Bulacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $164 per month, with Bulacan 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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Bulacan differ by about 227% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $709 including rent). Bulacan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 707% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $259 in Bulacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $105 in Bulacan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Bulacan versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bulacan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Bulacan 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 Bulacan 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 Bulacan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 227% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.