Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cabanatuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cabanatuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $623 in Cabanatuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $959 in Cabanatuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,296 in Cabanatuan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 298% more expensive than in Cabanatuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.31

$3.89 ₱244

381.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$16.96 ₱1,066

309.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.98

$2.81 ₱177

390.04%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.77 ₱111

75.14%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.61 ₱38.03

363.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.33 ₱20.81

469.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.95 ₱59.8

318.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.94

$1.57 ₱98.7

188.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.59 ₱100

-20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.15 ₱72.0

87.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.93 ₱58.5

89.25%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.46

$1.99 ₱125

157.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.56

$4.98 ₱313

259.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.40

$3.38 ₱212

185.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.54

$7.98 ₱501

152.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$2.22 ₱140

46.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.05 ₱65.7

112.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.26

$2.30 ₱144

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$0.77 ₱48.50

258.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.71 ₱108

29.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.70 ₱107

24.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.62 ₱38.98

150.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.52 ₱32.90

82.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.39

$2.91 ₱183

152.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.00

$8.52 ₱535

-5.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$0.96 ₱60.1

60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.99 ₱125

40.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.70

$0.30 ₱18.63

936.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.51

$9.95 ₱625

159.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.76 ₱47.47

330.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.25 ₱15.81

492.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.83

$1.88 ₱118

1722.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.94 ₱59.1

84.04%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

72.32%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

60.99%

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

$187 €163

$55.2 ₱3,469

238.79%

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

$15.14 €13.18

$17.82 ₱1,120

-15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.80

$21.61 ₱1,358

74.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.69

$11.20 ₱704

399.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.87

$4.70 ₱295

263.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.93

$5.09 ₱320

124.17%

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

$997 €867

$130 ₱8,194

664.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$10.7K ₱673.1K

54.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.6

$23.56 ₱1,480

293.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.88

$19.53 ₱1,227

111.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.8

$60.0 ₱3,767

85.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$55.2 ₱3,471

126.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,486

$291 ₱18.3K

486.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,119

$170 ₱10.7K

658.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,233

$535 ₱33.6K

379.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,690

$299 ₱18.8K

550.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,656

$2,306 ₱144.9K

231.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,497

$907 ₱57.0K

469.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,044

$161 ₱10.1K

1358.49%

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 Cabanatuan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $291 in Cabanatuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1358% 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 Cabanatuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $168 per month, with Cabanatuan 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 Cabanatuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cabanatuan differ by about 298% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $623 including rent). Cabanatuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1358% 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 $291 in Cabanatuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $130 in Cabanatuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $623 in Cabanatuan versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cabanatuan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cabanatuan 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 Cabanatuan 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 Cabanatuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 298% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.