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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $749 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,277 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,805 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 212% more expensive than Subic Bay Freeport Zone, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Subic Bay Freeport Zone is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.46 ₱271

282.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$15.76 ₱957

339.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$3.48 ₱211

295.98%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.51 ₱152

9.96%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.83 ₱50.3

236.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.45 ₱27.37

342.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.50 ₱90.8

190.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.37 ₱144

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.88 ₱114

-31.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.56 ₱94.8

31.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.95 ₱57.8

109.47%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.08 ₱127

62.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$8.17 ₱496

130.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.09 ₱309

83.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$13.57 ₱824

40.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.99 ₱181

-9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.76 ₱107

32.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.35 ₱82.2

57.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.14 ₱69.0

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.66 ₱101

18.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.40 ₱85.1

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.07 ₱64.9

35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.85 ₱51.4

1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.47 ₱150

174.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$7.93 ₱481

-0.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.76 ₱46.17

82.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.28 ₱139

3.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.24 ₱14.59

1116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$18.38 ₱1,116

56.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.74 ₱44.74

502.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.25 ₱15.16

720.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.18 ₱132

1255.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.11 ₱67.4

63.96%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.7K ₱1.7M

35.07%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$17.5K ₱1.1M

89.11%

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

$189 €163

$130 ₱7,897

45.49%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$10.94 ₱664

108.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$18.52 ₱1,125

102.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$31.92 ₱1,938

80.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$4.35 ₱264

376.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.42 ₱451

45.82%

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

$728 €628

$151 ₱9,143

383.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,341 ₱263.6K

240.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$45.31 ₱2,751

95.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$34.05 ₱2,068

8.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$70.0 ₱4,248

45.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$114 ₱6,901

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$144 ₱8,755

988.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$90.0 ₱5,462

1254.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$360 ₱21.9K

675.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$489 ₱29.7K

304.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,226 ₱135.1K

248.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,082 ₱65.7K

378.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $144 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $16.00 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $220 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 212% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $749 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 $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,124 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $144 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $151 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 45% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $749 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $2,337 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 212% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.