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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $661 in Caloocan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,032 in Caloocan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,404 in Caloocan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 257% more expensive than in Caloocan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Caloocan is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.50 ₱214

390.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$13.31 ₱815

411.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$2.59 ₱159

426.64%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.12 ₱68.5

148.21%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.43 ₱26.21

555.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.37 ₱22.93

429.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.36 ₱83.5

225.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.93 ₱118

138.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.89 ₱116

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.24 ₱76.1

71.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.03 ₱63.3

93.20%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.98 ₱121

70.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$2.08 ₱127

811.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$2.80 ₱172

240.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$5.83 ₱357

221.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.08 ₱127

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.11 ₱67.8

111.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.32 ₱142

-9.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.21 ₱74.2

125.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.26 ₱76.9

55.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.24 ₱137

-19.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.72 ₱43.98

109.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.57 ₱35.14

56.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.27 ₱200

107.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$4.76 ₱291

66.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.07 ₱65.3

28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.35 ₱144

2.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.22 ₱13.48

1222.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.77 ₱47.12

494.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.24 ₱14.75

750.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.44 ₱149

1077.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.16 ₱71.1

56.90%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$32.3K ₱2.0M

21.72%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$20.0K ₱1.2M

62.16%

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

$187 €162

$61.2 ₱3,747

204.90%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$10.45 ₱640

113.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$26.05 ₱1,595

39.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$5.39 ₱330

967.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$4.36 ₱267

375.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.75 ₱352

87.30%

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

$725 €628

$153 ₱9,349

374.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,785 ₱292.9K

216.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$49.63 ₱3,038

77.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$27.95 ₱1,711

31.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$53.3 ₱3,263

93.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$47.30 ₱2,896

150.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$295 ₱18.1K

416.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$266 ₱16.3K

361.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$582 ₱35.6K

368.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$530 ₱32.4K

274.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,529 ₱154.8K

195.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,028 ₱62.9K

410.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$267 ₱16.3K

796.07%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $295 in Caloocan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 796% 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 $13.00 in Caloocan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 257% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $661 including rent). Caloocan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 796% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $295 in Caloocan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $153 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $661 in Caloocan versus $2,359 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 257% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.