Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Philipsburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Philipsburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $3,098 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $5,842 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $8,587 in Philipsburg.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 23% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Philipsburg 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$14.89 ANG 26.57

18.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$73.5 ANG 131

-4.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$7.97 ANG 14.23

71.39%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$4.43 ANG 7.90

-38.15%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$2.97 ANG 5.30

-6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$3.60 ANG 6.42

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$3.03 ANG 5.41

43.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$5.11 ANG 9.12

-10.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$3.06 ANG 5.46

-57.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$3.18 ANG 5.68

-35.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.99 ANG 5.33

-33.78%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$6.58 ANG 11.74

-48.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$18.48 ANG 32.99

0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$16.83 ANG 30.04

-43.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$19.80 ANG 35.34

-4.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$5.98 ANG 10.67

-54.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$5.92 ANG 10.56

-58.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$9.35 ANG 16.68

-77.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$6.43 ANG 11.47

-56.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$3.93 ANG 7.02

-48.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$3.97 ANG 7.08

-53.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$4.43 ANG 7.90

-65.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.97 ANG 3.52

-54.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$7.78 ANG 13.89

-9.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$10.91 ANG 19.47

-26.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$3.32 ANG 5.93

-56.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.87 ANG 5.11

-20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.47 ANG 2.62

95.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$14.94 ANG 26.67

-70.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$4.85 ANG 8.66

-55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.44 ANG 2.56

29.17%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

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

$32.7K €28.2K

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

$189 €163

$222 ANG 397

-14.88%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$32.97 ANG 58.9

-31.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$69.2 ANG 123

-47.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$63.3 ANG 113

-8.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$12.75 ANG 22.76

-15.22%

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

$726 €625

$371 ANG 662

95.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$11.1K ANG 19.9K

35.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$1,970 ANG 3,517

-20.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$1,875 ANG 3,347

-34.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$5,726 ANG 10.2K

-52.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$5,589 ANG 9,976

-64.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$1,104 ANG 1,970

115.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.75

-41.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $1,970 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 115% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $74.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $540 per month, with Barcelona 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 Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Philipsburg differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $3,098 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 115% 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 $1,970 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $371 in Philipsburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelona – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $74.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barcelona is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Philipsburg 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 Barcelona gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.