Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quezon City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Quezon City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $902 in Quezon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,390 in Quezon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,878 in Quezon City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 159% more expensive than Quezon City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Quezon City is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.69 ₱289

275.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$21.55 ₱1,329

218.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$3.13 ₱193

339.30%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.84 ₱175

-2.82%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.92 ₱56.4

202.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.35 ₱21.52

485.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.22 ₱75.5

277.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.72 ₱168

68.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.15 ₱133

-40.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.26 ₱77.4

67.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.12 ₱69.2

75.89%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.02 ₱125

70.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.09 ₱437

165.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.30 ₱265

119.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.35 ₱453

158.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$4.50 ₱277

-39.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.52 ₱93.7

55.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.90 ₱179

-28.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.66 ₱102

66.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.89 ₱178

-31.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$4.03 ₱249

-55.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.57 ₱97.0

-3.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.00 ₱61.8

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.29 ₱203

105.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$7.27 ₱448

3.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.62 ₱100

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.99 ₱123

21.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.49 ₱30.16

518.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.79 ₱48.50

460.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.25 ₱15.36

720.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$2.15 ₱133

1264.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.14 ₱70.6

65.79%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$25.3K ₱1.6M

53.20%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

57.06%

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

$189 €161

$167 ₱10.3K

13.24%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$33.42 ₱2,061

-33.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$29.58 ₱1,825

24.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$24.73 ₱1,525

134.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$6.04 ₱372

247.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$6.92 ₱427

59.68%

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

$726 €622

$81.5 ₱5,026

791.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$2,831 ₱174.6K

437.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$32.19 ₱1,986

174.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$29.07 ₱1,793

27.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$99.7 ₱6,147

2.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$95.1 ₱5,868

25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$275 ₱17.0K

454.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$195 ₱12.0K

523.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$710 ₱43.8K

293.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$421 ₱26.0K

381.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,260 ₱139.4K

213.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,391 ₱85.8K

248.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$456 ₱28.2K

426.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

8.13

-58.30%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $275 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 427% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $22.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $225 per month, with Quezon City 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 Quezon City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Quezon City differ by about 159% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $902 including rent). Quezon City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 427% 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 $275 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $81.5 in Quezon City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quezon City – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $902 in Quezon City versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quezon City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Quezon City 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 Quezon City 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 Quezon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 159% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.