Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Marawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Marawi: $718 a month against $2,443 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Marawi, Philippines
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,443
/mo nomad
Marawi
🇵🇭 Philippines
$718
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Marawi

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 Marawi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,443 in Barcelona versus $718 in Marawi.

  • Barcelona $2,443
  • Marawi $718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,519 in Barcelona versus $1,100 in Marawi.

  • Barcelona $3,519
  • Marawi $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,595 in Barcelona versus $1,482 in Marawi.

  • Barcelona $4,595
  • Marawi $1,482

Living in Barcelona is roughly 240% more expensive than in Marawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Marawi is 47% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 €15.77
$3.97 ₱251
344.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.3
$16.15 ₱1,024
317.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.61 €12.16
$2.72 ₱172
400.37%
Cappuccino
$3.10 €2.77
$2.13 ₱135
45.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.68
$0.69 ₱43.51
334.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$0.33 ₱21.08
484.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.84 €3.43
$1.20 ₱76.3
220.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.89
$2.02 ₱128
115.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.64 ₱104
-23.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.12 €1.90
$1.09 ₱68.9
94.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.89 ₱56.2
121.35%
Eggs
$4.76 €4.25
$1.86 ₱118
155.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.07 €15.24
$5.51 ₱349
209.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 €8.00
$4.21 ₱267
112.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.65 €18.44
$7.15 ₱453
188.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.16 €2.82
$2.40 ₱152
31.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.56 ₱98.9
26.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.37
$2.33 ₱147
13.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$1.16 ₱73.4
148.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$2.12 ₱134
-2.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 €1.95
$2.19 ₱139
-0.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.09 ₱68.9
40.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.87
$0.56 ₱35.55
73.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.97 €6.22
$2.85 ₱180
144.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.05
$7.30 ₱463
8.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 €1.26
$0.93 ₱58.8
52.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 €2.40
$1.91 ₱121
40.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.96
$0.24 ₱15.24
1279.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.61 €22.87
$12.57 ₱796
103.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.08 €2.75
$0.80 ₱50.5
285.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$0.20 ₱12.65
640.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.87 €29.36
$1.87 ₱118
1657.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.67
$1.17 ₱74.4
59.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.4K
$21.3K ₱1.3M
54.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K €28.5K
$19.2K ₱1.2M
66.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 €163
$119 ₱7,571
53.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.24 €12.72
$15.62 ₱990
-8.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.56 €30.87
$24.25 ₱1,537
42.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 €45.93
$30.78 ₱1,951
67.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 €14.64
$5.09 ₱323
221.81%
Cinema Ticket
$11.06 €9.88
$5.17 ₱328
113.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$944 €843
$130 ₱8,226
627.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.3K €19.9K
$7,809 ₱494.9K
185.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.7 €78.3
$32.78 ₱2,078
167.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.77 €34.63
$19.34 ₱1,226
100.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 €93.4
$71.5 ₱4,532
46.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 €105
$54.6 ₱3,458
115.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,516
$248 ₱15.7K
583.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,337 €1,194
$164 ₱10.4K
716.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,692 €2,405
$497 ₱31.5K
441.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 €1,855
$352 ₱22.3K
490.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,155 €6,391
$2,638 ₱167.2K
171.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,079 €4,537
$1,089 ₱69.0K
366.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Marawi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,241 €2,002
$277 ₱17.5K
710.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.19
6.92
-53.90%

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

Last update for Barcelona: November 2, 2026

Last update for Marawi: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Marawi
$164 87.8% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$328
Marawi
$179 45.5% $149
Eating Out
Barcelona
$267
Marawi
$80 70.2% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$232
Marawi
$159 31.2% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$157
Marawi
$80 48.9% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Marawi
$41 44.1% $32
Getting Around
Barcelona
$49
Marawi
$15 69% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Barcelona and $248 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 8.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $16 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $179 per month, with Marawi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇵🇭 Marawi
🕒 Local time
15:48 3:48 PM
22:48 10:48 PM
7 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
207,010
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Marawi 11,970 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Marawi

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 Marawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Marawi?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,443 in Barcelona and $718 in Marawi, so Marawi is about 71% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Marawi?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 8.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Marawi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Barcelona versus $248 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Marawi?
Childcare runs $944 in Barcelona versus $130 in Marawi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $718 in Marawi versus $2,443 in Barcelona, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Marawi?
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.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Marawi?
Expats usually find Marawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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