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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $672 in Caloocan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,028 in Caloocan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,384 in Caloocan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 248% more expensive than Caloocan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Caloocan is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.50 ₱213

388.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$13.48 ₱818

413.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$2.73 ₱166

404.76%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.17 ₱71.1

135.90%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.44 ₱26.66

534.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.40 ₱24.57

397.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.36 ₱82.7

220.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.99 ₱121

138.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.85 ₱112

-30.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.24 ₱75.3

65.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.05 ₱63.7

89.52%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.02 ₱123

67.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$2.17 ₱132

766.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$2.89 ₱176

223.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$5.51 ₱335

247.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.02 ₱123

33.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.14 ₱69.2

105.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.35 ₱143

-9.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.22 ₱74.0

133.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.21 ₱73.7

62.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.30 ₱140

-21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.72 ₱43.56

101.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.54 ₱32.51

59.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.23 ₱196

109.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$5.00 ₱303

58.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.04 ₱63.0

33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.28 ₱139

3.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.20 ₱12.13

1360.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.83 ₱50.7

437.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.22 ₱13.34

831.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.45 ₱149

1106.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.10 ₱66.8

65.45%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$31.4K ₱1.9M

23.52%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$20.4K ₱1.2M

62.32%

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

$189 €163

$60.8 ₱3,691

211.28%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$10.54 ₱640

116.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$26.24 ₱1,594

43.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$5.43 ₱330

963.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$4.33 ₱263

378.98%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$5.79 ₱352

86.87%

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

$728 €628

$150 ₱9,102

385.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,724 ₱286.9K

212.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$49.24 ₱2,990

80.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$27.85 ₱1,691

32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$54.2 ₱3,288

88.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$46.76 ₱2,840

148.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$293 ₱17.8K

435.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$266 ₱16.2K

357.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$582 ₱35.3K

380.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$529 ₱32.1K

273.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,658 ₱161.4K

191.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,085 ₱65.9K

377.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$275 ₱16.7K

751.03%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Caloocan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $293 in Caloocan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 751% 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 $319 vs $150 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 248% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $672 including rent). Caloocan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 751% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $293 in Caloocan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 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 $672 in Caloocan versus $2,337 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 248% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.