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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $635 in Bulacan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $923 in Bulacan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,211 in Bulacan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 290% more expensive than in Bulacan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Bulacan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$1.95 ₱122

861.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$15.69 ₱986

342.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$2.71 ₱170

408.12%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.77 ₱111

75.14%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.50 ₱31.56

466.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.25 ₱15.57

652.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.94 ₱59.0

323.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$1.57 ₱98.9

188.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.63 ₱102

-22.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.10 ₱69.1

96.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.87 ₱54.6

102.30%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$1.76 ₱111

191.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$2.72 ₱171

557.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$3.49 ₱219

176.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$5.95 ₱374

238.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.02 ₱127

60.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.57 ₱98.6

42.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.00 ₱126

30.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.08 ₱67.6

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.58 ₱99.2

39.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.77 ₱112

19.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.66 ₱41.33

134.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.53 ₱33.61

79.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$2.93 ₱184

150.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$3.56 ₱223

126.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$0.92 ₱58.0

67.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.58 ₱99.3

76.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.19 ₱11.63

1536.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$6.71 ₱422

285.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.70 ₱44.28

367.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.18 ₱11.00

722.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$1.93 ₱121

1675.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.04 ₱65.7

66.35%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

69.22%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$16.0K ₱1.0M

90.90%

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

$187 €163

$114 ₱7,193

63.40%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$17.31 ₱1,087

-12.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$23.30 ₱1,464

61.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$36.36 ₱2,284

53.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$0.78 ₱48.73

2089.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$5.15 ₱323

121.55%

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

$997 €867

$96.5 ₱6,064

932.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$972 ₱61.1K

1600.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$28.30 ₱1,778

227.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$19.31 ₱1,213

113.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$74.4 ₱4,676

49.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$54.7 ₱3,434

128.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$237 ₱14.9K

621.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$149 ₱9,347

764.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$381 ₱23.9K

573.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$215 ₱13.5K

803.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$1,900 ₱119.4K

302.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$1,418 ₱89.1K

264.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$296 ₱18.6K

692.84%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $237 in Bulacan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 693% 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 $16.00 in Bulacan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $146 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 290% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $635 including rent). Bulacan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 693% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $237 in Bulacan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $96.5 in Bulacan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 129% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $635 in Bulacan versus $2,476 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 290% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.