Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Caloocan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Caloocan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $675 in Caloocan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,053 in Caloocan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,432 in Caloocan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 247% more expensive than Caloocan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Caloocan is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$3.56 ₱218

394.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$13.50 ₱826

408.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$2.71 ₱166

407.38%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.13 ₱69.4

144.25%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.47 ₱28.77

491.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.37 ₱22.68

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$1.35 ₱82.7

241.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$1.96 ₱120

134.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.90 ₱116

-32.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.19 ₱72.8

77.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.04 ₱63.8

89.42%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.01 ₱123

71.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$2.17 ₱133

767.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$2.81 ₱172

236.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$5.50 ₱337

245.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.05 ₱126

32.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.10 ₱67.1

115.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.34 ₱143

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.22 ₱74.9

126.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.22 ₱74.6

61.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.29 ₱140

-21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.72 ₱44.16

109.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.59 ₱35.94

52.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$3.18 ₱195

112.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$4.98 ₱305

51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.08 ₱66.0

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.28 ₱140

5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.22 ₱13.49

1277.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.79 ₱48.16

460.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.24 ₱14.70

754.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$2.32 ₱142

1164.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.11 ₱67.6

70.27%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$32.5K ₱2.0M

19.16%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

56.43%

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

$189 €161

$61.0 ₱3,732

209.11%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$10.60 ₱648

109.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$26.26 ₱1,607

40.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$5.20 ₱318

1015.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$4.41 ₱270

375.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$5.84 ₱357

89.21%

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

$726 €620

$150 ₱9,197

383.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,807 ₱294.1K

216.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$48.06 ₱2,940

83.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$27.23 ₱1,666

35.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$53.2 ₱3,255

92.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$47.05 ₱2,879

153.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$284 ₱17.4K

436.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$264 ₱16.1K

362.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$592 ₱36.2K

371.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$526 ₱32.2K

285.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$2,325 ₱142.3K

205.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$275 ₱16.8K

775.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

4.5

-24.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $284 in Caloocan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 775% 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 $13.00 in Caloocan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $151 per month, with Caloocan 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 Caloocan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Caloocan differ by about 247% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $675 including rent). Caloocan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 775% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $284 in Caloocan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $150 in Caloocan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Caloocan – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $675 in Caloocan versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Caloocan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Caloocan 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 Caloocan 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 Caloocan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.