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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $867 in Quezon City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,370 in Quezon City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,873 in Quezon City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 185% more expensive than in Quezon City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Quezon City is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.31 ₱270

334.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$18.91 ₱1,186

267.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$2.73 ₱171

404.40%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.71 ₱170

14.39%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.70 ₱43.94

304.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.27 ₱16.80

596.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.47 ₱92.2

170.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.71 ₱170

67.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.65 ₱104

-23.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.13 ₱71.1

91.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.90 ₱56.6

95.56%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.79 ₱113

186.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$6.94 ₱436

157.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.13 ₱259

133.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$6.92 ₱434

191.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.03 ₱253

-19.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.38 ₱86.6

61.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.47 ₱218

-25.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.18 ₱73.8

133.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.30 ₱144

-3.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$3.48 ₱219

-39.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.42 ₱89.1

9.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.98 ₱61.4

-3.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.79 ₱175

163.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$7.72 ₱484

4.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.29 ₱80.9

19.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.77 ₱111

57.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.36 ₱22.80

763.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$18.88 ₱1,184

36.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.83 ₱52.0

293.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.21 ₱13.11

604.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$2.52 ₱158

1259.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.17 ₱73.4

47.86%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

70.45%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

63.17%

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

$187 €163

$167 ₱10.4K

12.32%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$14.73 ₱924

2.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$25.07 ₱1,572

50.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$38.44 ₱2,411

45.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$3.40 ₱213

402.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$7.07 ₱443

61.39%

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

$997 €869

$73.7 ₱4,624

1251.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$2,491 ₱156.2K

563.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$35.24 ₱2,210

162.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$22.80 ₱1,430

80.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$79.3 ₱4,973

40.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$76.1 ₱4,775

64.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$312 ₱19.6K

446.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$187 ₱11.7K

589.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$725 ₱45.5K

253.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$519 ₱32.5K

274.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,365 ₱148.4K

223.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,454 ₱91.2K

255.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$431 ₱27.0K

445.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-54.86%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Quezon City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $312 in Quezon City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 445% 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 $19.00 in Quezon City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $206 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 185% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $867 including rent). Quezon City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 445% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $312 in Quezon City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $73.7 in Quezon City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $867 in Quezon City versus $2,476 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 185% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.