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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $586 in Caloocan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $916 in Caloocan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,247 in Caloocan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 323% more expensive than in Caloocan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Caloocan is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.41 ₱151

677.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$16.60 ₱1,041

318.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$2.27 ₱142

506.61%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$0.94 ₱59.2

229.79%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.43 ₱26.89

558.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.31 ₱19.15

506.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$0.94 ₱59.0

323.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.61 ₱101

181.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.61 ₱101

-21.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.15 ₱72.1

87.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.93 ₱58.2

89.25%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.77 ₱111

189.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$1.86 ₱117

861.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$2.57 ₱161

275.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$5.14 ₱322

292.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.84 ₱115

76.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.02 ₱64.3

118.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.04 ₱128

27.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.07 ₱67.3

157.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.13 ₱70.8

95.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.71 ₱107

23.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.67 ₱42.10

131.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.52 ₱32.38

82.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.85 ₱179

157.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$4.64 ₱291

73.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.96 ₱60.3

60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.00 ₱125

39.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.22 ₱13.65

1313.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.75 ₱46.95

336.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.23 ₱14.40

543.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$1.88 ₱118

1722.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.90 ₱56.6

92.22%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

68.61%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$19.1K ₱1.2M

60.11%

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

$187 €163

$53.0 ₱3,321

253.31%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$9.76 ₱612

55.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$23.11 ₱1,449

63.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$4.83 ₱303

1058.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.02 ₱315

127.29%

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

$997 €869

$132 ₱8,289

654.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$10.5K ₱661.4K

56.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$29.19 ₱1,831

217.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$19.37 ₱1,215

112.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$49.35 ₱3,095

125.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$42.84 ₱2,687

192.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$266 ₱16.7K

540.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$235 ₱14.8K

446.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$526 ₱33.0K

387.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$468 ₱29.4K

314.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$267 ₱16.8K

777.99%

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 Caloocan: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $266 in Caloocan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 778% 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 Caloocan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $135 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 323% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $586 including rent). Caloocan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 778% 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 $266 in Caloocan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $132 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 $17.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $586 in Caloocan versus $2,476 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 323% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.