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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,232 in Makati.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,009 in Makati.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,786 in Makati.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 92% more expensive than Makati, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Makati is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$6.80 ₱419

158.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$45.15 ₱2,784

51.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.93 ₱304

185.19%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.87 ₱177

-3.14%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.19 ₱73.5

135.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.56 ₱34.76

267.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.44 ₱151

82.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.66 ₱225

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.14 ₱132

-42.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.43 ₱88.4

41.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.08 ₱66.5

77.78%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.34 ₱144

41.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.16 ₱503

125.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.43 ₱273

114.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.64 ₱471

150.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.57 ₱282

-42.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.92 ₱118

27.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.70 ₱166

-21.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.25 ₱139

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$3.29 ₱203

-37.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.86 ₱177

-35.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.08 ₱66.8

36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.99 ₱61.3

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.94 ₱181

142.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.28 ₱511

-4.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.20 ₱74.1

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.34 ₱144

-1.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.51 ₱31.71

484.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$3.58 ₱221

717.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.81 ₱50.0

467.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.12 ₱7.44

1625.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$3.58 ₱221

715.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.10 ₱67.8

67.27%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$34.3K ₱2.1M

13.82%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$21.5K ₱1.3M

52.11%

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

$188 €162

$172 ₱10.6K

9.18%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$26.94 ₱1,661

-14.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$36.49 ₱2,250

0.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$56.0 ₱3,452

2.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$11.79 ₱727

75.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$7.90 ₱487

41.65%

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

$721 €620

$321 ₱19.8K

124.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$7,538 ₱464.8K

99.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$60.3 ₱3,717

43.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$35.62 ₱2,197

4.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$85.6 ₱5,277

19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$122 ₱7,516

-4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$666 ₱41.1K

130.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$390 ₱24.0K

213.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$2,260 ₱139.4K

19.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$1,024 ₱63.1K

96.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$6,010 ₱370.6K

20.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$3,852 ₱237.5K

34.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$682 ₱42.0K

246.17%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Makati: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $666 in Makati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 246% 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 $45.00 in Makati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $234 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 92% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,232 including rent). Makati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 246% 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 $666 in Makati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $321 in Makati. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Makati versus $2,367 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 92% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.