Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marawi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marawi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $717 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,102 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,487 in Marawi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 245% more expensive than in Marawi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Marawi is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.61 ₱226

419.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$14.46 ₱907

380.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$2.77 ₱174

397.11%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.16 ₱136

43.52%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.58 ₱36.42

387.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.30 ₱19.08

526.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.26 ₱79.3

215.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.73 ₱109

161.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.69 ₱106

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.16 ₱72.6

86.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.95 ₱59.9

85.26%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.92 ₱121

167.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$5.30 ₱332

237.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.10 ₱257

135.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$6.99 ₱438

188.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.27 ₱142

43.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.62 ₱101

37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.39 ₱150

8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.18 ₱73.8

133.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.02 ₱127

9.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.95 ₱122

8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.77 ₱48.43

101.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.52 ₱32.70

82.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.21 ₱201

128.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.80 ₱427

18.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.81 ₱50.6

90.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.88 ₱118

48.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.26 ₱16.28

1096.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$9.46 ₱593

173.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.76 ₱47.88

330.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.23 ₱14.48

543.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$1.75 ₱110

1858.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.09 ₱68.1

58.72%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$20.3K ₱1.3M

78.74%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$22.1K ₱1.4M

38.23%

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

$187 €163

$108 ₱6,761

73.56%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$12.81 ₱803

18.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$24.42 ₱1,531

54.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$36.16 ₱2,268

54.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$4.31 ₱270

296.29%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$4.88 ₱306

133.81%

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

$997 €869

$131 ₱8,237

658.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,059 ₱505.4K

105.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$31.86 ₱1,998

190.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$19.13 ₱1,200

115.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$70.3 ₱4,408

58.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$55.0 ₱3,447

127.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$262 ₱16.4K

552.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$172 ₱10.8K

646.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$492 ₱30.8K

421.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$351 ₱22.0K

453.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,956 ₱185.4K

158.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,034 ₱64.9K

399.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$284 ₱17.8K

728.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.75

-53.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Marawi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $262 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 728% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $14.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $174 per month, with Marawi 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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Marawi differ by about 245% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $717 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 728% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $262 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $131 in Marawi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $717 in Marawi versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marawi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Marawi 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 Marawi 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 Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 245% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.