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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $809 in Puerto Princesa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,180 in Puerto Princesa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,550 in Puerto Princesa.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 192% more expensive than Puerto Princesa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Puerto Princesa is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.10 ₱253

328.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$26.71 ₱1,647

156.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$4.27 ₱263

229.27%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.46 ₱152

13.01%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.68 ₱41.75

311.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.38 ₱23.46

442.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.26 ₱77.5

253.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.72 ₱106

168.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.53 ₱94.5

-18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.17 ₱72.1

73.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.84 ₱51.8

128.57%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.88 ₱116

76.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.83 ₱544

108.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$5.03 ₱310

88.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$6.23 ₱384

207.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.51 ₱216

-24.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.93 ₱57.3

163.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$3.48 ₱214

-39.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$0.90 ₱55.6

216.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.80 ₱111

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.37 ₱84.4

35.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.05 ₱64.6

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.73 ₱45.28

15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.95 ₱182

142.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$7.18 ₱443

9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.13 ₱69.6

22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.80 ₱111

28.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.28 ₱17.47

964.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.81 ₱112

154.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.22 ₱13.50

840.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.10 ₱129

1289.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.21 ₱74.7

52.07%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$14.4K ₱890.6K

170.10%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.4K ₱1.3M

60.11%

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

$188 €162

$122 ₱7,495

54.53%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$13.69 ₱844

67.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$34.56 ₱2,131

6.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$26.23 ₱1,618

118.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$4.33 ₱267

378.06%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.30 ₱327

111.13%

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

$721 €620

$62.5 ₱3,856

1052.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,255 ₱262.4K

253.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$45.30 ₱2,793

90.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$26.63 ₱1,642

39.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$75.2 ₱4,640

35.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$52.3 ₱3,222

121.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$291 ₱18.0K

426.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$228 ₱14.0K

436.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$439 ₱27.0K

514.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$314 ₱19.4K

540.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,418 ₱149.1K

198.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$970 ₱59.8K

435.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$223 ₱13.7K

959.49%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $291 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 959% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Puerto Princesa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $195 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 192% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $809 including rent). Puerto Princesa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 959% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $291 in Puerto Princesa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $62.5 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Puerto Princesa versus $2,367 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 192% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.