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: $2,442 in Barcelona versus $3,216 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,414 in Barcelona versus $6,278 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,386 in Barcelona versus $9,340 in Philipsburg.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 24% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 80% above, Philipsburg 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.56 €16.04

$15.46 ANG 27.59

20.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.5

$75.2 ANG 134

-6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.70 €11.84

$7.92 ANG 14.13

72.98%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$4.23 ANG 7.54

-26.71%

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

$2.76 €2.38

$2.81 ANG 5.02

-1.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$3.65 ANG 6.52

-49.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.46

$2.97 ANG 5.30

34.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.05

$5.13 ANG 9.16

-8.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$3.04 ANG 5.43

-59.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.70 ANG 4.82

-21.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.99 ANG 5.33

-39.13%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.44

$6.37 ANG 11.37

-19.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.74 €14.46

$18.53 ANG 33.07

-9.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 €8.19

$16.73 ANG 29.86

-43.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 €16.64

$19.57 ANG 34.93

-1.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 €2.65

$5.04 ANG 9.00

-39.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$4.80 ANG 8.57

-54.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 €2.11

$9.51 ANG 16.98

-74.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.50

$6.24 ANG 11.14

-53.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$4.09 ANG 7.30

-45.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$3.90 ANG 6.96

-41.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$4.46 ANG 7.96

-65.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.70 ANG 3.04

-49.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.31 €6.32

$8.10 ANG 14.45

-9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.02 €6.93

$11.18 ANG 19.95

-28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.32

$3.91 ANG 6.97

-60.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.22

$3.03 ANG 5.40

-15.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.13 €2.70

$1.48 ANG 2.64

111.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.14 €22.59

$1.54 ANG 2.74

1597.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.89

$20.31 ANG 36.25

-83.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.62

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.29 €29.63

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.42 ANG 2.54

20.42%

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

$37.0K €32.0K

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

$30.8K €26.7K

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

$180 €156

$221 ANG 395

-18.66%

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

$16.25 €14.05

$32.60 ANG 58.2

-50.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.47 €32.38

$71.4 ANG 127

-47.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.90

$61.9 ANG 111

-12.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.79 €14.51

Cinema Ticket

$11.69 €10.10

$10.95 ANG 19.55

6.76%

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

$949 €820

$250 ANG 446

279.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$12.0K ANG 21.4K

36.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 €73.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.41

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €94.3

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 €1,450

$2,172 ANG 3,877

-22.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,116

$1,980 ANG 3,535

-34.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,624 €2,268

$6,454 ANG 11.5K

-59.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 €1,648

$6,477 ANG 11.6K

-70.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,775 €6,718

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,316 €4,593

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,118

$1,105 ANG 1,973

121.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

-37.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 9, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: August 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,678 in Barcelona and $2,172 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 122% 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 $75.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $522 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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,442 vs $3,216 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 122% 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: $1,678 in Barcelona versus $2,172 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $949 in Barcelona versus $250 in Philipsburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 32% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.