Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mambajao Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mambajao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $633 in Mambajao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,014 in Mambajao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,396 in Mambajao.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 273% more expensive than in Mambajao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Mambajao is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$1.53 ₱93.9

1020.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$26.63 ₱1,630

155.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.35 ₱266

213.56%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$3.16 ₱193

-12.03%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.40 ₱85.7

101.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.78 ₱47.64

151.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.14 ₱69.7

288.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.64 ₱162

74.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.33 ₱81.7

-4.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.99 ₱60.5

115.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.82 ₱50.5

142.68%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.37 ₱83.8

145.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$8.13 ₱498

133.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.28 ₱262

122.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$6.60 ₱404

183.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.93 ₱180

-9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.36 ₱83.3

72.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.68 ₱164

-22.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.54 ₱94.4

77.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.43 ₱149

-19.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.53 ₱155

-28.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.06 ₱64.8

42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.72 ₱43.92

23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.88 ₱176

135.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.17 ₱500

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.12 ₱68.5

22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.24 ₱76.2

93.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.22 ₱13.48

1222.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.83 ₱51.0

451.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.24 ₱14.73

750.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.10 ₱129

1267.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.39 ₱85.2

30.94%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

46.63%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$20.3K ₱1.2M

59.99%

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

$187 €162

$82.6 ₱5,056

125.94%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$32.77 ₱2,006

-31.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$22.11 ₱1,354

64.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$33.31 ₱2,039

72.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$4.41 ₱270

370.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.00 ₱367

79.50%

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

$725 €628

$154 ₱9,432

370.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,248 ₱260.1K

256.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$45.86 ₱2,808

91.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$26.52 ₱1,623

38.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$75.0 ₱4,592

37.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$54.0 ₱3,305

119.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$131 ₱8,038

1060.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$84.6 ₱5,180

1349.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$290 ₱17.7K

842.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$192 ₱11.8K

933.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,247 ₱137.5K

232.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$849 ₱52.0K

517.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$154 ₱9,421

1454.65%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Mambajao: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $131 in Mambajao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1455% 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 $27.00 in Mambajao for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $188 per month, with Mambajao 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 Mambajao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mambajao differ by about 273% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $633 including rent). Mambajao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1455% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $131 in Mambajao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $154 in Mambajao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mambajao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $633 in Mambajao versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mambajao but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mambajao 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 Mambajao 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 Mambajao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 273% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.