Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Puerto Princesa Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Puerto Princesa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $819 in Puerto Princesa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,172 in Puerto Princesa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,526 in Puerto Princesa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 183% more expensive than in Puerto Princesa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Puerto Princesa is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$4.13 ₱255

327.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$26.50 ₱1,634

162.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.38 ₱270

223.29%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.42 ₱149

15.70%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.63 ₱38.73

346.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.39 ₱23.83

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.27 ₱78.2

262.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$1.75 ₱108

168.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.59 ₱98.0

-22.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.14 ₱70.2

78.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.85 ₱52.6

132.94%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.87 ₱115

86.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.03 ₱557

102.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$4.94 ₱305

98.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$6.31 ₱389

203.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.58 ₱221

-23.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.99 ₱61.3

140.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$3.52 ₱217

-40.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$0.93 ₱57.3

195.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.81 ₱112

8.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.32 ₱81.3

35.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.08 ₱66.8

37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.78 ₱47.99

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.10 ₱191

130.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$7.11 ₱439

10.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.07 ₱66.2

28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.79 ₱111

33.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.26 ₱15.83

1057.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.78 ₱110

144.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.22 ₱13.49

868.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$2.17 ₱134

1264.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.17 ₱72.0

55.56%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$14.1K ₱867.0K

169.52%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

56.56%

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

$189 €166

$121 ₱7,467

56.12%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$13.75 ₱848

62.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$33.59 ₱2,071

10.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$26.78 ₱1,651

116.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$4.35 ₱268

374.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.45 ₱336

99.45%

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

$706 €618

$63.0 ₱3,884

1020.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,379 ₱270.0K

239.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$45.36 ₱2,797

97.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$26.99 ₱1,664

35.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$74.4 ₱4,589

39.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$53.7 ₱3,311

122.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$287 ₱17.7K

450.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$226 ₱13.9K

447.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$449 ₱27.7K

504.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$307 ₱19.0K

563.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,412 ₱148.7K

212.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$965 ₱59.5K

442.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$226 ₱13.9K

947.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.25

-58.91%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $287 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 948% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Puerto Princesa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $196 per month, with Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Puerto Princesa differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $819 including rent). Puerto Princesa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 948% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $287 in Puerto Princesa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $63.0 in Puerto Princesa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Princesa – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $819 in Puerto Princesa versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Princesa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.