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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $861 in Dumaguete.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,330 in Dumaguete.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,800 in Dumaguete.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 175% more expensive than Dumaguete, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Dumaguete is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.21 ₱198

447.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$14.15 ₱873

383.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.39 ₱270

220.27%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.32 ₱143

19.83%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.77 ₱47.19

263.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.36 ₱22.29

472.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.07 ₱66.1

316.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.14 ₱132

115.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.74 ₱107

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.44 ₱88.6

40.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.03 ₱63.6

86.41%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.00 ₱124

65.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$9.46 ₱583

94.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.11 ₱315

85.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.99 ₱493

139.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.76 ₱108

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.38 ₱85.4

77.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$4.05 ₱250

-47.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.38 ₱85.4

106.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.40 ₱148

-15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.62 ₱162

-29.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.86 ₱52.8

70.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.61 ₱37.54

37.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.59 ₱159

175.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.99 ₱493

-1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.22 ₱75.4

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.96 ₱121

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.50 ₱30.84

496.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$8.90 ₱549

228.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.78 ₱47.88

489.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.27 ₱16.83

666.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$0.91 ₱56.1

3106.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.15 ₱70.6

60.00%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$22.7K ₱1.4M

72.05%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$38.5K ₱2.4M

-15.12%

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

$188 €162

$74.3 ₱4,580

152.85%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$44.54 ₱2,747

-48.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$29.05 ₱1,791

26.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$23.73 ₱1,463

141.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$3.50 ₱216

491.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.15 ₱379

81.95%

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

$721 €620

$70.7 ₱4,361

919.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$1,887 ₱116.4K

697.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$108 ₱6,646

-20.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$35.97 ₱2,218

3.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$110 ₱6,799

-7.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$84.5 ₱5,209

37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$242 ₱14.9K

533.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$213 ₱13.1K

474.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$439 ₱27.1K

513.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$417 ₱25.7K

382.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,117 ₱192.2K

131.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$689 ₱42.5K

652.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$283 ₱17.5K

732.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.5

-47.85%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dumaguete: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $242 in Dumaguete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 732% 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 $14.00 in Dumaguete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $211 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 175% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $861 including rent). Dumaguete is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 732% 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 $242 in Dumaguete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $70.7 in Dumaguete. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $861 in Dumaguete versus $2,367 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 175% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.