Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Manila Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Manila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $957 in Manila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,543 in Manila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,130 in Manila.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 151% more expensive than in Manila, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Manila is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$5.22 ₱316

238.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$26.52 ₱1,605

164.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$4.38 ₱265

211.87%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$2.72 ₱164

0.74%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$0.93 ₱56.1

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.51 ₱30.79

284.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$1.52 ₱92.2

186.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.71 ₱164

69.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.95 ₱118

-33.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.36 ₱82.3

50.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.09 ₱65.9

81.65%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$2.10 ₱127

61.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$9.46 ₱573

97.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$5.24 ₱318

82.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$8.78 ₱532

114.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$3.40 ₱206

-19.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.77 ₱107

39.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$3.48 ₱211

-39.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$2.41 ₱146

17.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.67 ₱162

-24.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$3.15 ₱191

-41.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.02 ₱123

-25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.69 ₱41.77

30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$3.35 ₱203

110.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$10.03 ₱607

-20.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.46 ₱88.4

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.14 ₱129

7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$0.52 ₱31.19

453.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$12.01 ₱727

136.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$0.92 ₱55.4

376.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$0.27 ₱16.41

692.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$2.18 ₱132

1237.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.16 ₱69.9

60.34%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

45.26%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$23.1K ₱1.4M

41.60%

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

$189 €165

$134 ₱8,101

41.33%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$22.30 ₱1,350

1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$26.94 ₱1,631

35.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$42.13 ₱2,550

36.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$6.77 ₱410

215.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$6.57 ₱398

64.54%

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

$726 €634

$354 ₱21.4K

105.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$11.2K ₱678.6K

34.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$47.31 ₱2,864

85.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$34.90 ₱2,113

5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$82.5 ₱4,992

25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$46.21 ₱2,798

152.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$500 ₱30.3K

214.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$272 ₱16.5K

348.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$1,716 ₱103.9K

58.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$631 ₱38.2K

211.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$4,360 ₱264.0K

79.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$2,599 ₱157.4K

102.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$516 ₱31.2K

360.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.52

-54.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Manila: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $500 in Manila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 361% 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 $27.00 in Manila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $243 per month, with Manila 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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Manila differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $957 including rent). Manila is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 361% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $500 in Manila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $354 in Manila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $957 in Manila versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manila but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Manila 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 Manila 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 Manila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.