Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Makati

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,257 a month against $2,405 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
Learn more

Makati Living Index

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Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,405

/mo nomad

Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,257

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Makati

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Makati actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $1,257 in Makati.

Barcelona $2,405
Makati $1,257

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $2,052 in Makati.

Barcelona $3,477
Makati $2,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $2,847 in Makati.

Barcelona $4,550
Makati $2,847

Living in Barcelona is roughly 91% more expensive than in Makati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 79% above, Makati is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.98 €16.05

$6.56 ₱411

174.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 €60.2

$40.13 ₱2,517

68.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.37 €11.93

$4.75 ₱298

181.47%

Cappuccino

$3.34 €2.98

$2.65 ₱166

26.04%

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

$2.95 €2.64

$1.08 ₱67.6

173.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$0.50 ₱31.47

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.88 €3.46

$2.44 ₱153

59.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €4.08

$3.10 ₱195

47.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.83 ₱115

-30.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.24 ₱77.7

58.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.01 ₱63.5

73.27%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.36

$2.37 ₱148

106.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 €15.59

$7.35 ₱461

137.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 €8.09

$4.91 ₱308

84.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.18 €18.01

$6.81 ₱427

196.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$4.09 ₱257

-24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$2.00 ₱125

1.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.32

$3.27 ₱205

-20.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.42

$2.29 ₱144

18.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$3.59 ₱225

-40.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$3.45 ₱216

-35.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.38

$1.07 ₱67.0

43.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.83

$1.11 ₱69.7

-16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.09 €6.32

$2.66 ₱167

166.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 €6.81

$8.01 ₱502

-4.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.33

$1.35 ₱84.5

10.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.98 ₱124

37.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 €2.63

$0.99 ₱61.9

197.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.91 €23.13

$57.4 ₱3,599

-54.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 €2.80

$0.66 ₱41.39

374.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.23 ₱14.46

530.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.17 €30.49

$1.88 ₱118

1717.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.60

$1.26 ₱79.0

42.06%

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

$34.7K €31.0K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

61.55%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$19.8K ₱1.2M

52.97%

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

$181 €161

$155 ₱9,726

16.52%

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

$13.56 €12.10

$15.90 ₱997

-14.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.12 €31.34

$32.67 ₱2,049

7.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 €47.44

$55.4 ₱3,473

-3.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 €14.33

$14.51 ₱910

10.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.37 €10.14

$6.98 ₱438

62.89%

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

$939 €838

$783 ₱49.1K

19.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.7K

$7,340 ₱460.4K

125.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.2 €78.7

$59.6 ₱3,738

48.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 €35.49

$37.48 ₱2,351

6.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$82.5 ₱5,171

25.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €107

$102 ₱6,383

17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,513

$828 ₱51.9K

104.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,161

$416 ₱26.1K

212.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,299

$2,318 ₱145.4K

11.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 €1,732

$1,067 ₱66.9K

81.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,470 €6,666

$6,082 ₱381.5K

22.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,195 €4,636

$3,765 ₱236.1K

37.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,299 €2,052

$616 ₱38.6K

273.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

7.5

-56.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Makati: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barcelona

$1.3K 54%

Makati

$416 33.8% 68% $884

Groceries & Markets

Barcelona

$325 13.5%

Makati

$230 18.7% 29.1% $95

Eating Out

Barcelona

$272 11.3%

Makati

$123 10% 54.7% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barcelona

$229 9.5%

Makati

$204 16.5% 11.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Barcelona

$158 6.6%

Makati

$127 10.3% 19.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Barcelona

$76 3.2%

Makati

$69 5.6% 8.6% $6.5

Getting Around

Barcelona

$48 2%

Makati

$63 5.1% 31.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $828 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 274% 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $40.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $230 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🇵🇭 Makati

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

16:17 4:17 PM

6 h ahead of Barcelona

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,660,122

582,602

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barcelona Makati 11,190 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Barcelona
Makati

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 91% in total monthly costs ($2,405 vs $1,257 including rent). Makati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 274% 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: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $828 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Barcelona versus $783 in Makati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,257 in Makati versus $2,405 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 91% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.