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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $932 in Pasay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,316 in Pasay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,700 in Pasay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 157% more expensive than Pasay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Pasay is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$4.77 ₱287

270.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$21.29 ₱1,282

229.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$3.13 ₱189

336.42%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$2.13 ₱128

28.64%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.60 ₱36.38

365.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.34 ₱20.68

476.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.04 ₱62.5

319.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$1.54 ₱92.9

197.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.92 ₱116

-32.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.22 ₱73.3

68.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.93 ₱56.0

112.90%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.00 ₱121

69.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$5.09 ₱307

266.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$4.23 ₱255

126.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$5.56 ₱335

238.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$4.41 ₱265

-37.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.54 ₱92.7

60.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.52 ₱152

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.63 ₱98.3

73.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.75 ₱165

-26.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$4.07 ₱245

-54.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.44 ₱86.9

4.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.94 ₱56.9

-4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$3.16 ₱190

123.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$7.51 ₱452

6.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.02 ₱61.6

40.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.14 ₱68.4

100.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.22 ₱13.26

1209.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$0.68 ₱41.06

544.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.27 ₱16.42

692.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$2.08 ₱125

1301.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.09 ₱65.6

70.64%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$12.6K ₱757.1K

210.05%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$15.9K ₱955.2K

106.17%

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

$189 €163

$114 ₱6,880

65.53%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$32.42 ₱1,953

-29.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$29.55 ₱1,780

23.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$36.15 ₱2,177

59.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$6.19 ₱373

74.64%

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

$726 €625

$81.6 ₱4,912

790.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$2,753 ₱165.8K

448.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$31.47 ₱1,895

178.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$17.55 ₱1,057

110.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$84.0 ₱5,059

23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$69.7 ₱4,195

67.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$398 ₱23.9K

295.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$309 ₱18.6K

295.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$1,462 ₱88.0K

85.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$400 ₱24.1K

391.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$1,919 ₱115.6K

307.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$603 ₱36.3K

774.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$532 ₱32.1K

346.18%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Pasay: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $398 in Pasay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 346% 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 $21.00 in Pasay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $202 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 157% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $932 including rent). Pasay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 346% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $398 in Pasay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $81.6 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 $21.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Pasay versus $2,399 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 157% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.