Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Imus Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Imus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $771 in Imus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,135 in Imus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,500 in Imus.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 204% more expensive than Imus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Imus is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$4.50 ₱275

291.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$21.45 ₱1,312

220.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$3.16 ₱193

335.13%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.96 ₱181

-6.76%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.87 ₱53.5

219.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.37 ₱22.79

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$1.22 ₱74.4

277.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$2.71 ₱166

69.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.07 ₱127

-38.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.26 ₱77.4

67.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.01 ₱61.7

95.05%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.02 ₱124

70.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$7.09 ₱434

165.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$4.13 ₱253

128.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$7.10 ₱434

167.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$2.32 ₱142

17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.53 ₱93.6

54.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.91 ₱178

-28.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.66 ₱101

66.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.74 ₱106

13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$3.51 ₱215

-49.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.64 ₱100

-7.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.88 ₱53.9

2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$3.18 ₱194

112.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$9.14 ₱559

-17.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.33 ₱81.6

8.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.99 ₱122

21.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.46 ₱28.00

558.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$0.83 ₱50.6

433.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.24 ₱14.73

754.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$2.12 ₱130

1283.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.11 ₱67.9

70.27%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$25.6K ₱1.6M

51.17%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$17.8K ₱1.1M

81.49%

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

$189 €161

$129 ₱7,911

45.85%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$32.71 ₱2,001

-32.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$26.45 ₱1,618

39.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$34.39 ₱2,104

68.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$4.34 ₱265

383.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$7.05 ₱432

56.74%

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

$726 €620

$81.9 ₱5,011

787.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,302 ₱263.2K

253.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$31.95 ₱1,955

176.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$29.51 ₱1,805

25.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$67.5 ₱4,132

51.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$95.7 ₱5,854

24.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$134 ₱8,226

1035.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$109 ₱6,647

1021.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$221 ₱13.5K

1163.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$189 ₱11.6K

969.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$2,331 ₱142.6K

204.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$176 ₱10.7K

1269.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.17

-45.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Imus: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $134 in Imus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1269% 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 $21.00 in Imus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $208 per month, with Imus 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 Imus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Imus differ by about 204% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $771 including rent). Imus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1269% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $134 in Imus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $81.9 in Imus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Imus – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $771 in Imus versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Imus but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Imus 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 Imus 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 Imus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.