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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $749 in Imus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,143 in Imus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,536 in Imus.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 212% more expensive than Imus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Imus is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.55 ₱276

275.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$21.41 ₱1,300

223.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$3.13 ₱190

340.26%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.85 ₱173

-3.16%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.82 ₱49.82

240.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.37 ₱22.47

437.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.27 ₱77.2

243.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.64 ₱160

79.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.10 ₱128

-38.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.26 ₱76.4

62.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.94 ₱56.9

111.70%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.95 ₱118

73.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.13 ₱433

163.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$4.37 ₱266

114.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$6.98 ₱424

173.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.29 ₱139

17.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.51 ₱92.0

54.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$3.02 ₱184

-29.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.63 ₱99.2

74.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.74 ₱106

13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$3.47 ₱211

-48.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.59 ₱96.4

-8.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.82 ₱49.81

4.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.10 ₱189

118.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$9.08 ₱551

-13.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.40 ₱85.2

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.96 ₱119

20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.43 ₱25.95

579.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.84 ₱50.9

430.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.24 ₱14.65

754.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.19 ₱133

1249.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.11 ₱67.5

63.96%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$25.7K ₱1.6M

51.18%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$17.8K ₱1.1M

86.07%

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

$189 €163

$127 ₱7,720

48.84%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$32.32 ₱1,962

-29.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$27.03 ₱1,641

39.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$33.48 ₱2,033

72.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$4.55 ₱276

355.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.00 ₱425

54.57%

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

$728 €628

$82.1 ₱4,986

786.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,263 ₱258.9K

246.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$32.41 ₱1,968

173.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$29.40 ₱1,785

25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$68.4 ₱4,156

49.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$92.8 ₱5,633

25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$134 ₱8,138

1070.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$112 ₱6,776

991.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$217 ₱13.2K

1185.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$188 ₱11.4K

949.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,740 ₱166.4K

183.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$962 ₱58.4K

437.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$178 ₱10.8K

1218.32%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Imus: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $134 in Imus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1218% 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 $319 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 212% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $749 including rent). Imus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1218% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $134 in Imus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $82.1 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 $749 in Imus versus $2,337 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 212% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.