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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $718 in Bulacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,050 in Bulacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,383 in Bulacan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 230% more expensive than Bulacan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Bulacan is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.70 ₱167

551.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$14.10 ₱870

385.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$2.83 ₱174

396.82%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.22 ₱137

25.23%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.68 ₱41.84

311.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.31 ₱18.92

564.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.04 ₱63.9

328.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.10 ₱129

119.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.11 ₱130

-41.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.25 ₱77.0

62.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.92 ₱56.6

108.70%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.97 ₱121

68.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$3.04 ₱188

506.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.70 ₱228

156.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$6.67 ₱411

187.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.07 ₱128

27.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.44 ₱88.6

70.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.14 ₱132

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.43 ₱88.2

99.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.74 ₱107

17.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.52 ₱93.6

21.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.88 ₱54.0

67.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.84 ₱52.1

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.87 ₱177

148.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$3.63 ₱224

117.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.09 ₱67.3

26.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.62 ₱100

42.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.29 ₱17.95

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$7.49 ₱462

290.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.76 ₱47.02

505.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.24 ₱14.84

762.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.72 ₱168

972.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.10 ₱67.6

67.27%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.1K ₱1.7M

44.02%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$14.7K ₱905.5K

122.68%

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

$188 €162

$113 ₱6,942

66.83%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$32.16 ₱1,983

-28.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$27.96 ₱1,724

31.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$40.56 ₱2,501

41.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$4.40 ₱271

370.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.38 ₱393

75.39%

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

$721 €620

$106 ₱6,556

578.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,394 ₱270.9K

242.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$29.90 ₱1,844

188.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$23.35 ₱1,440

58.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$75.8 ₱4,674

34.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$98.2 ₱6,052

18.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$255 ₱15.7K

501.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$135 ₱8,326

803.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$392 ₱24.1K

588.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$202 ₱12.4K

898.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,907 ₱117.6K

278.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,479 ₱91.2K

250.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$294 ₱18.1K

701.96%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $255 in Bulacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 702% 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 $14.00 in Bulacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $165 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 230% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $718 including rent). Bulacan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 702% 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 $255 in Bulacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $106 in Bulacan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $718 in Bulacan versus $2,367 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 230% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.