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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $658 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,006 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,353 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 276% more expensive than in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Subic Bay Freeport Zone is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.75 ₱298

294.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$14.45 ₱906

380.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.25 ₱329

162.29%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.20 ₱138

40.91%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.60 ₱37.36

371.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.31 ₱19.45

506.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.47 ₱92.1

170.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.02 ₱127

124.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.60 ₱101

-20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.18 ₱74.0

83.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.06 ₱66.6

66.04%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.94 ₱122

164.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$4.57 ₱287

291.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.71 ₱233

160.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$6.39 ₱401

215.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.22 ₱139

46.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.56 ₱98.1

42.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.65 ₱166

-1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.18 ₱74.2

133.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.05 ₱128

7.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.16 ₱136

-1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.75 ₱47.27

106.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.60 ₱37.78

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$2.92 ₱183

151.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.02 ₱503

0.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.97 ₱60.8

58.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.90 ₱119

46.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.20 ₱12.52

1455.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$9.83 ₱616

163.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.81 ₱50.7

303.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.23 ₱14.37

543.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$1.85 ₱116

1752.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.04 ₱65.2

66.35%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.9K ₱1.4M

66.19%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$16.7K ₱1.0M

82.56%

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

$187 €163

$141 ₱8,852

32.56%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$15.67 ₱983

-3.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$16.38 ₱1,028

130.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$30.31 ₱1,901

84.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$4.68 ₱293

264.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.09 ₱319

124.17%

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

$997 €869

$129 ₱8,063

675.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,462 ₱468.0K

121.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$35.14 ₱2,204

163.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$19.42 ₱1,218

112.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$63.3 ₱3,972

75.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$50.8 ₱3,187

146.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$128 ₱8,040

1231.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$78.6 ₱4,931

1535.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$327 ₱20.5K

684.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$191 ₱12.0K

918.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,625 ₱164.6K

191.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$913 ₱57.3K

465.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.75

-53.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Subic Bay Freeport Zone: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $128 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $14.00 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $174 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 276% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $658 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 $3,714 in Barcelona and $988 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $128 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $129 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 93% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $658 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone versus $2,476 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 276% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.