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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $907 in Quezon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,404 in Quezon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,900 in Quezon City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 160% more expensive than in Quezon City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Quezon City is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.73 ₱289

262.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$20.95 ₱1,282

224.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$3.19 ₱195

327.59%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.96 ₱181

-6.08%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.95 ₱58.1

196.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.37 ₱22.74

429.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.25 ₱76.8

254.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.73 ₱167

68.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.11 ₱129

-39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.26 ₱77.1

69.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.08 ₱65.9

84.26%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.02 ₱123

66.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.88 ₱421

175.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.31 ₱264

121.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.36 ₱450

154.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$4.46 ₱273

-40.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.53 ₱93.4

53.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.02 ₱185

-30.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.64 ₱100

66.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.74 ₱168

-28.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$4.15 ₱254

-56.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.62 ₱98.9

-6.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.05 ₱64.0

-15.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.22 ₱197

110.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$7.84 ₱480

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.56 ₱95.5

-12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.94 ₱119

23.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.49 ₱29.76

493.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.83 ₱51.0

451.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.25 ₱15.18

716.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.07 ₱127

1287.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.13 ₱69.3

61.06%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$26.0K ₱1.6M

51.14%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

57.43%

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

$187 €162

$164 ₱10.1K

13.60%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$33.43 ₱2,046

-33.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$29.54 ₱1,808

23.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$25.27 ₱1,547

127.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$6.17 ₱378

236.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.15 ₱438

50.63%

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

$725 €628

$81.9 ₱5,013

785.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$2,825 ₱172.9K

436.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$31.48 ₱1,927

179.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$29.53 ₱1,808

24.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$97.7 ₱5,983

5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$93.9 ₱5,748

26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$272 ₱16.6K

460.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$198 ₱12.1K

520.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$731 ₱44.8K

273.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$433 ₱26.5K

358.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,390 ₱146.3K

212.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,471 ₱90.1K

256.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$439 ₱26.8K

445.60%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $272 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 446% 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 $21.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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 160% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $907 including rent). Quezon City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 446% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $272 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $81.9 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 $21.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $907 in Quezon City versus $2,359 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 160% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.