Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Davao Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Davao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $821 in Davao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,263 in Davao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,705 in Davao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 188% more expensive than Davao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Davao is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.41 ₱272

298.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$24.31 ₱1,499

181.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.62 ₱285

204.33%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.13 ₱131

30.52%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.88 ₱54.2

218.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.53 ₱32.92

288.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.39 ₱85.4

220.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.80 ₱111

156.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.76 ₱108

-29.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.26 ₱77.5

61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.91 ₱56.3

110.99%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.06 ₱127

60.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$5.89 ₱363

212.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.50 ₱278

110.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.12 ₱439

169.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.88 ₱178

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.13 ₱69.8

116.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.40 ₱148

-11.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.34 ₱82.6

112.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.22 ₱137

-8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.15 ₱194

-41.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.32 ₱81.6

11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 ₱34.96

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.64 ₱163

170.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.01 ₱494

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.40 ₱86.3

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.56 ₱96.2

48.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.24 ₱14.84

1141.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$14.15 ₱873

106.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.85 ₱52.3

441.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.23 ₱14.08

800.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.16 ₱133

1250.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.09 ₱67.0

68.81%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$21.9K ₱1.4M

77.95%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.8K ₱1.3M

56.99%

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

$188 €162

$104 ₱6,405

80.82%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$33.96 ₱2,094

-32.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$35.46 ₱2,187

3.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$40.61 ₱2,504

41.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$4.40 ₱272

370.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.40 ₱271

154.32%

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

$721 €620

$119 ₱7,328

506.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$8,012 ₱494.0K

87.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$65.6 ₱4,043

31.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$30.07 ₱1,854

23.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$77.7 ₱4,792

31.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$67.8 ₱4,183

70.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$330 ₱20.4K

364.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$184 ₱11.3K

564.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$814 ₱50.2K

231.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$370 ₱22.8K

443.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$1,654 ₱102.0K

336.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,457 ₱89.9K

256.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$216 ₱13.3K

993.42%

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 Davao: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $330 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 993% 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 $24.00 in Davao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $192 per month, with Davao 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 Davao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Davao differ by about 188% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $821 including rent). Davao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 993% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $330 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $119 in Davao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $821 in Davao versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Davao 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 Davao 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 Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.