Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Subic Bay Freeport Zone Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Subic Bay Freeport Zone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $746 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,291 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,835 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 216% more expensive than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Subic Bay Freeport Zone is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.36 ₱267

293.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$15.63 ₱957

335.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$3.58 ₱219

281.01%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.43 ₱149

14.40%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.87 ₱53.0

224.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.49 ₱30.13

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.49 ₱91.5

197.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.34 ₱143

97.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.81 ₱111

-29.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.53 ₱93.8

39.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.94 ₱57.6

111.70%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.99 ₱122

69.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$7.94 ₱486

138.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$5.11 ₱313

86.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$13.42 ₱822

39.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.96 ₱181

-10.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.80 ₱110

30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.42 ₱86.9

47.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.20 ₱73.3

127.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.69 ₱103

15.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.35 ₱82.7

34.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.06 ₱64.7

42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.88 ₱54.1

1.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.52 ₱154

169.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.11 ₱497

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.81 ₱49.89

69.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.28 ₱139

5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.22 ₱13.42

1222.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$17.75 ₱1,087

61.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.72 ₱44.22

536.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.25 ₱15.15

716.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.08 ₱127

1280.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.16 ₱71.3

56.90%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

39.18%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$17.6K ₱1.1M

84.00%

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

$187 €162

$130 ₱7,947

43.75%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$10.78 ₱660

106.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$18.88 ₱1,156

92.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$31.43 ₱1,924

83.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$4.50 ₱275

360.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.60 ₱465

41.71%

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

$725 €628

$154 ₱9,404

371.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$4,331 ₱265.1K

249.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$45.58 ₱2,790

92.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$33.88 ₱2,074

8.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$67.8 ₱4,150

52.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$117 ₱7,184

1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$141 ₱8,624

981.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$88.7 ₱5,431

1282.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$365 ₱22.4K

646.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$474 ₱29.0K

318.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,328 ₱142.5K

220.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,096 ₱67.1K

378.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.17

-45.06%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $141 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $219 per month, with Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Subic Bay Freeport Zone differ by about 216% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $746 including rent). Subic Bay Freeport Zone is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,119 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $141 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $154 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subic Bay Freeport Zone but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone 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 Subic Bay Freeport Zone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 216% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.