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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $782 in Marawi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,212 in Marawi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,643 in Marawi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 200% more expensive than Marawi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Marawi is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.58 ₱221

391.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$18.02 ₱1,112

281.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$3.27 ₱202

320.49%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.44 ₱151

13.11%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.81 ₱50.2

243.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.39 ₱24.13

425.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.35 ₱83.1

241.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.10 ₱129

118.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.92 ₱119

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.22 ₱75.5

72.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.93 ₱57.6

111.83%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.06 ₱127

66.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.22 ₱507

129.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.30 ₱265

119.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.79 ₱480

144.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.89 ₱178

-5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.59 ₱98.0

49.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.58 ₱159

-19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.55 ₱95.5

78.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.25 ₱139

-12.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.53 ₱156

-29.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.11 ₱68.8

36.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.76 ₱46.93

18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.80 ₱172

141.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.28 ₱449

3.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.19 ₱73.4

21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.00 ₱123

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.28 ₱17.32

982.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.78 ₱48.06

467.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.24 ₱14.85

754.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$2.11 ₱130

1290.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.10 ₱68.2

71.82%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$26.9K ₱1.7M

43.97%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

57.14%

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

$189 €161

$113 ₱6,948

67.43%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$32.89 ₱2,029

-32.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$27.09 ₱1,671

35.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$34.55 ₱2,131

67.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$4.46 ₱275

370.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$5.96 ₱368

85.40%

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

$726 €622

$154 ₱9,474

372.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$4,228 ₱260.8K

260.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$44.90 ₱2,769

96.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$26.81 ₱1,654

37.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$75.6 ₱4,665

35.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$53.0 ₱3,266

125.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$261 ₱16.1K

485.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$177 ₱10.9K

588.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$585 ₱36.1K

377.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$393 ₱24.3K

415.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,531 ₱156.1K

180.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$246 ₱15.2K

1870.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$296 ₱18.3K

712.54%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Marawi: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $261 in Marawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 713% 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 $18.00 in Marawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $205 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 200% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $782 including rent). Marawi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 713% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $261 in Marawi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $154 in Marawi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marawi – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $782 in Marawi versus $2,341 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 200% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.