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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $835 in Davao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,279 in Davao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,722 in Davao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 178% more expensive than in Davao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Davao is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$4.54 ₱279

288.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$23.96 ₱1,475

190.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$4.64 ₱286

205.17%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.06 ₱127

35.92%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.87 ₱53.3

222.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.54 ₱32.95

281.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.41 ₱86.5

226.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$1.72 ₱106

172.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.68 ₱103

-26.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.22 ₱75.0

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.96 ₱59.4

106.25%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.06 ₱127

69.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$6.20 ₱382

195.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$4.60 ₱283

113.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$7.43 ₱457

157.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.88 ₱177

-5.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.14 ₱70.4

108.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.41 ₱148

-13.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.42 ₱87.3

93.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.22 ₱137

-11.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$3.15 ₱194

-43.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.31 ₱80.7

12.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.61 ₱37.28

49.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.71 ₱167

163.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$8.29 ₱510

-4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.41 ₱86.6

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.57 ₱96.4

52.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.22 ₱13.45

1268.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$14.45 ₱890

103.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.90 ₱55.5

384.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.25 ₱15.47

752.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$2.10 ₱129

1309.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.09 ₱66.9

66.97%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$22.0K ₱1.4M

72.29%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$21.0K ₱1.3M

54.24%

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

$189 €165

$105 ₱6,463

80.06%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$33.78 ₱2,080

-34.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$35.75 ₱2,201

3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.25 ₱2,539

40.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$4.34 ₱267

376.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$4.40 ₱271

147.05%

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

$706 €618

$119 ₱7,315

494.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,829 ₱482.0K

89.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$65.6 ₱4,040

36.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$29.82 ₱1,836

22.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$77.8 ₱4,792

33.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$69.4 ₱4,273

72.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$321 ₱19.8K

391.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$183 ₱11.3K

575.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$816 ₱50.2K

232.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$361 ₱22.2K

464.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$1,621 ₱99.8K

364.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$1,447 ₱89.1K

262.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$220 ₱13.5K

976.13%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Davao: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $321 in Davao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 976% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Davao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $195 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 178% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $835 including rent). Davao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 976% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $321 in Davao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 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 64% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $835 in Davao versus $2,320 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 178% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.