Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Makati Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Makati

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,188 in Makati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,011 in Makati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,833 in Makati.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 95% more expensive than in Makati, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Makati is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$6.53 ₱403

170.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$45.00 ₱2,775

54.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.79 ₱295

195.62%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.95 ₱182

-5.08%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.20 ₱73.9

134.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.58 ₱35.49

255.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.34 ₱144

96.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.56 ₱220

31.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.14 ₱132

-42.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.43 ₱88.3

41.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.11 ₱68.7

78.38%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.33 ₱144

49.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$7.99 ₱493

129.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.52 ₱279

117.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.71 ₱475

148.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.54 ₱280

-39.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.98 ₱122

20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.72 ₱168

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$2.28 ₱141

20.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$3.45 ₱212

-43.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.80 ₱173

-36.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.14 ₱70.1

29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.99 ₱60.8

-8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$2.99 ₱185

138.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$8.01 ₱494

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.25 ₱77.0

10.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.24 ₱138

6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.51 ₱31.62

490.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$3.58 ₱221

719.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.76 ₱47.13

473.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.13 ₱8.21

1538.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$3.45 ₱212

757.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.15 ₱71.1

58.26%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$34.1K ₱2.1M

11.24%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$22.0K ₱1.4M

47.01%

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

$189 €166

$170 ₱10.5K

11.41%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$27.66 ₱1,706

-19.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$35.79 ₱2,207

3.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$54.8 ₱3,376

5.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$12.03 ₱742

71.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$8.20 ₱506

32.56%

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

$706 €618

$324 ₱20.0K

117.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$7,680 ₱473.6K

93.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$58.9 ₱3,634

51.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$35.88 ₱2,213

2.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$84.1 ₱5,183

23.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$124 ₱7,622

-3.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$657 ₱40.5K

140.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$390 ₱24.1K

217.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$2,273 ₱140.2K

19.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,008 ₱62.2K

102.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$6,013 ₱370.8K

25.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$3,732 ₱230.2K

40.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$605 ₱37.3K

290.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.67

-49.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Makati: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $657 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 291% 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 $45.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $235 per month, with Makati 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 Makati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Makati differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,188 including rent). Makati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 291% 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 $657 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $324 in Makati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,188 in Makati versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Makati 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 Makati 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 Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.