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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $724 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,154 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,584 in Cotabato City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 227% more expensive than Cotabato City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Cotabato City is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$4.41 ₱272

298.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$23.90 ₱1,473

186.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$4.63 ₱285

203.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.03 ₱125

36.95%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.87 ₱53.4

221.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.53 ₱32.60

288.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$1.41 ₱86.8

216.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.75 ₱108

163.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.04 ₱64.2

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$0.34 ₱20.95

497.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.66

$0.91 ₱55.9

110.99%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.01 ₱124

64.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.98

$5.86 ₱361

214.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.26 ₱201

191.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.61

$7.43 ₱458

157.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$1.40 ₱86.4

88.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.04 ₱64.1

135.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.07 ₱66.1

98.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.12 ₱69.0

154.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.26 ₱77.9

61.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.60

$1.50 ₱92.4

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.51 ₱31.14

188.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 ₱34.95

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.19

$0.86 ₱52.8

730.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$8.11 ₱500

-2.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.42 ₱87.3

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.50 ₱92.3

54.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.58

$0.28 ₱17.27

964.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.37

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$0.88 ₱54.1

422.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.25 ₱15.49

728.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.30

$2.09 ₱129

1296.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.10 ₱68.1

67.27%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$22.4K ₱1.4M

73.95%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

53.81%

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

$188 €163

$105 ₱6,483

78.57%

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

$22.93 €19.89

$34.22 ₱2,109

-32.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.84

$36.53 ₱2,252

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.76

$34.34 ₱2,117

67.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$4.33 ₱267

378.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$3.14 ₱194

256.37%

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

$721 €625

$117 ₱7,234

514.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,325 ₱266.6K

247.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$46.46 ₱2,864

85.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.15

$29.70 ₱1,831

24.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$79.0 ₱4,872

29.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$68.8 ₱4,239

68.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$263 ₱16.2K

483.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,058

$179 ₱11.0K

582.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$576 ₱35.5K

367.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$397 ₱24.4K

407.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,261

$2,371 ₱146.2K

204.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,500

$1,070 ₱66.0K

384.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,046

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $263 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $147 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 227% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $724 including rent). Cotabato City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,086 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $263 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $117 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $724 in Cotabato City versus $2,367 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 227% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.