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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $898 in Pasay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,290 in Pasay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,682 in Pasay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 161% more expensive than Pasay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Pasay is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.71 ₱291

273.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$20.86 ₱1,287

229.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$3.12 ₱192

340.71%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.22 ₱137

24.32%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.58 ₱35.65

379.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.38 ₱23.16

439.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.08 ₱66.3

326.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.48 ₱91.4

210.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.01 ₱124

-36.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.25 ₱77.0

68.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.92 ₱56.5

114.13%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.02 ₱124

70.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$5.02 ₱310

275.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.28 ₱264

120.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$5.62 ₱347

238.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$4.46 ₱275

-39.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.60 ₱98.4

48.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.44 ₱151

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.69 ₱104

63.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.77 ₱171

-28.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$4.09 ₱252

-56.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.41 ₱86.9

7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.92 ₱56.8

-2.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.11 ₱192

117.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.52 ₱464

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.03 ₱63.4

39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.19 ₱73.4

102.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.22 ₱13.60

1277.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.70 ₱43.06

532.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.27 ₱16.78

659.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$2.17 ₱134

1251.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.09 ₱67.2

73.39%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$12.3K ₱761.5K

213.81%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$16.1K ₱992.5K

101.11%

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

$189 €161

$111 ₱6,831

70.28%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$32.86 ₱2,027

-32.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$30.37 ₱1,873

21.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$34.88 ₱2,151

66.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$6.06 ₱374

82.34%

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

$726 €622

$82.4 ₱5,080

782.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$2,774 ₱171.1K

448.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$32.10 ₱1,980

175.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$17.71 ₱1,092

108.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$84.5 ₱5,212

21.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$70.0 ₱4,317

70.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$400 ₱24.7K

281.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$311 ₱19.2K

292.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,493 ₱92.1K

87.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$403 ₱24.9K

402.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,976 ₱121.9K

258.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$583 ₱35.9K

732.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$528 ₱32.6K

355.22%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Pasay: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $400 in Pasay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 355% 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 $21.00 in Pasay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $204 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 161% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $898 including rent). Pasay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 355% 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 $400 in Pasay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $82.4 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $898 in Pasay versus $2,341 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 161% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.