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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $917 in Pasay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,255 in Pasay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,592 in Pasay.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 170% more expensive than in Pasay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Pasay is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.44 ₱278

322.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$19.04 ₱1,194

264.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$2.84 ₱178

384.86%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.23 ₱140

39.01%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.63 ₱39.26

349.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.31 ₱19.24

506.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.21 ₱76.1

228.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$1.58 ₱99.0

186.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.72 ₱108

-26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.17 ₱73.2

84.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.01 ₱63.6

74.26%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.96 ₱123

161.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$5.15 ₱323

247.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.29 ₱269

124.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$7.26 ₱456

177.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.29 ₱143

41.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.54 ₱96.7

44.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.35 ₱147

10.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.17 ₱73.3

135.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.37 ₱149

-6.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.33 ₱209

-36.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.25 ₱78.3

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.89 ₱55.6

6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.97 ₱186

147.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.73 ₱485

4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.97 ₱61.0

58.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.82 ₱114

53.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.19 ₱11.64

1536.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.76 ₱47.52

330.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.21 ₱13.12

604.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$1.96 ₱123

1648.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.18 ₱74.2

46.61%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

71.83%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.6K ₱1.2M

64.24%

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

$187 €163

$139 ₱8,713

34.67%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$14.20 ₱890

6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$25.46 ₱1,597

48.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$47.18 ₱2,959

18.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.20 ₱326

119.42%

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

$997 €869

$73.4 ₱4,603

1258.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$2,546 ₱159.7K

549.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$36.19 ₱2,270

155.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$19.34 ₱1,213

113.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$70.1 ₱4,397

58.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$64.3 ₱4,033

94.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$432 ₱27.1K

295.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$315 ₱19.7K

308.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$821 ₱51.5K

212.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$361 ₱22.6K

438.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,840 ₱115.4K

315.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$571 ₱35.8K

804.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$511 ₱32.0K

359.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-54.86%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Pasay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $432 in Pasay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 360% 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 $19.00 in Pasay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $189 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 170% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $917 including rent). Pasay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 360% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $432 in Pasay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $73.4 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 $19.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $917 in Pasay versus $2,476 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 170% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.