Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dumaguete Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Dumaguete

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $806 in Dumaguete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,208 in Dumaguete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,611 in Dumaguete.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 207% more expensive than in Dumaguete, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Dumaguete is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.73 ₱234

402.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$15.69 ₱984

342.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.26 ₱267

223.24%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.32 ₱145

33.62%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.76 ₱47.96

272.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.43 ₱27.06

337.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.38 ₱86.5

188.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.89 ₱119

139.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.67 ₱105

-23.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.32 ₱82.9

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.93 ₱58.5

89.25%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.74 ₱109

194.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$8.53 ₱535

109.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.30 ₱270

124.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$7.22 ₱453

179.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.61 ₱101

101.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.29 ₱81.0

72.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.55 ₱222

-26.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.30 ₱81.6

112.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.51 ₱157

-11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.32 ₱145

-8.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.77 ₱48.10

101.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.58 ₱36.52

63.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.40 ₱150

205.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.79 ₱551

-8.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.13 ₱71.2

36.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.30 ₱81.3

114.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.38 ₱23.98

718.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$10.12 ₱635

155.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.70 ₱43.63

367.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.15 ₱9.33

886.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$2.10 ₱132

1531.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.98 ₱61.7

76.53%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

78.39%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$24.7K ₱1.5M

23.80%

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

$187 €163

$67.5 ₱4,235

177.07%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$9.72 ₱610

55.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$26.66 ₱1,672

41.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$24.38 ₱1,529

129.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$4.07 ₱255

319.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.96 ₱437

63.94%

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

$997 €869

$59.2 ₱3,715

1582.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$1,674 ₱105.0K

887.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$97.1 ₱6,089

-4.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$32.32 ₱2,027

27.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$99.4 ₱6,234

11.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$113 ₱7,105

10.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$234 ₱14.7K

628.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$209 ₱13.1K

515.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$434 ₱27.2K

491.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$357 ₱22.4K

444.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,061 ₱192.0K

149.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$668 ₱41.9K

673.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$279 ₱17.5K

741.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-54.86%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Dumaguete: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $234 in Dumaguete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 742% 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 $16.00 in Dumaguete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $194 per month, with Dumaguete 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 Dumaguete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Dumaguete differ by about 207% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $806 including rent). Dumaguete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 742% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $234 in Dumaguete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $59.2 in Dumaguete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $806 in Dumaguete versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dumaguete but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Dumaguete 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 Dumaguete 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 Dumaguete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 207% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.