Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cotabato City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cotabato City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $739 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,153 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,567 in Cotabato City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 213% more expensive than in Cotabato City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Cotabato City is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.10

$4.34 ₱268

296.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$24.27 ₱1,498

191.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.32

$4.51 ₱278

210.86%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$2.12 ₱131

31.13%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.81 ₱50.1

243.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$0.49 ₱30.52

318.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$1.38 ₱85.1

227.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$1.73 ₱107

169.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.04 ₱64.1

24.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$0.34 ₱20.98

529.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$0.83 ₱51.2

132.53%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$2.08 ₱129

67.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$6.12 ₱378

202.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$3.36 ₱207

183.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.61

$7.14 ₱441

164.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$1.40 ₱86.4

87.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.09 ₱67.1

114.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.08 ₱66.7

92.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.16 ₱71.7

145.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.21 ₱74.7

61.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$1.55 ₱95.8

19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$0.55 ₱34.06

178.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.60 ₱36.99

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$0.85 ₱52.7

696.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.84

$7.96 ₱492

-2.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.36 ₱84.0

1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.54 ₱95.2

50.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.26 ₱16.02

1053.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$0.93 ₱57.2

392.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

$0.25 ₱15.50

752.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.97

$2.18 ₱135

1255.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.09 ₱67.3

65.14%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$22.5K ₱1.4M

71.02%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

61.71%

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

$185 €162

$102 ₱6,311

80.82%

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

$22.68 €19.93

$34.33 ₱2,119

-33.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.32

$36.81 ₱2,272

-0.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

$34.30 ₱2,117

68.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.62

$4.52 ₱279

368.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.51

$3.28 ₱202

230.18%

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

$727 €639

$121 ₱7,497

498.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$4,319 ₱266.6K

241.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.9

$45.25 ₱2,793

93.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.83

$29.55 ₱1,824

26.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.7

$76.8 ₱4,738

34.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$69.5 ₱4,290

70.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,371

$269 ₱16.6K

479.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

$179 ₱11.1K

581.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,410

$577 ₱35.6K

374.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,750

$391 ₱24.1K

409.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,581

$2,723 ₱168.1K

175.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,575

$888 ₱54.8K

486.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,069

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.56

-64.54%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $269 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $148 per month, with Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cotabato City differ by about 213% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $739 including rent). Cotabato City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $1,108 in Cotabato City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $269 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $121 in Cotabato City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cotabato City – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $71.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Cotabato City versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 213% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.