Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pasay Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pasay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $924 in Pasay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,317 in Pasay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,711 in Pasay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 155% more expensive than in Pasay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Pasay is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.89 ₱299

250.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$21.56 ₱1,320

215.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$3.17 ₱194

330.28%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.14 ₱131

29.91%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.57 ₱34.90

394.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.38 ₱22.96

415.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.03 ₱63.2

330.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.53 ₱93.7

201.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.91 ₱117

-33.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.26 ₱77.2

69.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.95 ₱58.0

109.47%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.96 ₱120

71.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$4.82 ₱295

293.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.24 ₱259

124.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$5.58 ₱342

235.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$4.33 ₱265

-38.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.57 ₱96.2

49.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.50 ₱153

-16.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.64 ₱101

66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.81 ₱172

-30.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$4.22 ₱258

-57.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.40 ₱85.5

7.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.99 ₱60.7

-10.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.12 ₱191

117.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.84 ₱480

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.02 ₱62.2

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.20 ₱73.5

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.20 ₱12.24

1355.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.68 ₱41.43

573.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.27 ₱16.68

655.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.08 ₱128

1280.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.10 ₱67.5

65.45%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$12.3K ₱750.2K

220.81%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$15.8K ₱968.5K

105.25%

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

$187 €162

$112 ₱6,858

66.59%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$32.89 ₱2,013

-32.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$29.71 ₱1,819

22.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$35.53 ₱2,175

61.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.21 ₱380

73.43%

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

$725 €628

$81.7 ₱5,002

787.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$2,835 ₱173.6K

434.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$32.18 ₱1,970

173.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$17.51 ₱1,072

110.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$85.2 ₱5,217

21.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$70.8 ₱4,331

67.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$402 ₱24.6K

279.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$306 ₱18.7K

301.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,446 ₱88.5K

88.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$403 ₱24.6K

392.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,908 ₱116.8K

291.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$579 ₱35.4K

805.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$524 ₱32.1K

356.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-57.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pasay: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $402 in Pasay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 356% 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 $22.00 in Pasay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $203 per month, with Pasay 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 Pasay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Pasay differ by about 155% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $924 including rent). Pasay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 356% 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 $402 in Pasay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $81.7 in Pasay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pasay – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $924 in Pasay versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pasay but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pasay 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 Pasay 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 Pasay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.