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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,108 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $5,697 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $8,287 in Philipsburg.

Living in Barcelona costs roughly 25% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, Philipsburg 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$14.94 ANG 26.75

17.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$73.9 ANG 132

-7.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$8.05 ANG 14.41

70.81%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$4.31 ANG 7.72

-35.96%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$3.04 ANG 5.44

-8.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$3.78 ANG 6.76

-45.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.91 ANG 5.21

58.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$4.92 ANG 8.81

-6.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.93 ANG 5.24

-56.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$3.04 ANG 5.44

-30.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.05 ANG 5.46

-35.41%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$6.37 ANG 11.41

-46.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$18.65 ANG 33.38

0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$16.98 ANG 30.39

-44.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$19.82 ANG 35.48

-4.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$6.08 ANG 10.89

-55.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$6.06 ANG 10.85

-60.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$9.05 ANG 16.20

-77.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$6.19 ANG 11.08

-55.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$4.09 ANG 7.32

-51.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$4.11 ANG 7.35

-56.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$4.42 ANG 7.90

-65.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.95 ANG 3.49

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$7.97 ANG 14.27

-15.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$10.86 ANG 19.44

-30.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$3.28 ANG 5.86

-56.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.88 ANG 5.16

-16.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.46 ANG 2.60

107.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$14.75 ANG 26.41

-69.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$4.88 ANG 8.74

-57.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.37 ANG 2.44

37.96%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

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

$32.4K €27.6K

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

$189 €161

$224 ANG 402

-15.95%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$32.93 ANG 59.0

-32.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$71.0 ANG 127

-48.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$62.5 ANG 112

-7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$13.22 ANG 23.66

-16.41%

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

$726 €620

$369 ANG 661

96.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$11.3K ANG 20.3K

34.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$1,987 ANG 3,557

-23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$1,875 ANG 3,356

-35.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$5,720 ANG 10.2K

-51.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$5,597 ANG 10.0K

-63.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$2,955 ANG 5,289

140.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$1,102 ANG 1,973

118.09%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $1,987 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 118% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $74.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $537 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 33% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $3,108 including rent). Barcelona is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 118% 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 $1,987 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $369 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 $69.0 versus $74.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,341 in Barcelona versus $3,108 in Philipsburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barcelona but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelona 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 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 33% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.