Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tacloban Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tacloban

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $772 in Tacloban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,163 in Tacloban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,554 in Tacloban.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 221% more expensive than in Tacloban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Tacloban is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$2.94 ₱185

537.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$15.64 ₱981

344.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$2.33 ₱146

490.99%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.35 ₱148

31.91%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.57 ₱35.75

396.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.35 ₱21.77

437.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.58 ₱99.0

151.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.20 ₱138

105.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.88 ₱118

-32.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.14 ₱71.7

89.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.88 ₱55.5

100.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.93 ₱121

165.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$10.14 ₱636

76.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$4.27 ₱268

126.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$6.99 ₱439

188.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.35 ₱210

-2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.14 ₱71.4

95.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.38 ₱149

9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.55 ₱97.1

78.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.35 ₱147

-5.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.95 ₱122

8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.22 ₱76.8

27.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.63 ₱39.56

50.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$1.92 ₱121

282.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$6.35 ₱398

26.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.12 ₱70.4

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.64 ₱103

70.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.25 ₱15.54

1144.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$12.71 ₱797

103.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.79 ₱49.71

313.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.22 ₱13.81

572.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$1.93 ₱121

1675.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.99 ₱62.1

74.75%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.6K ₱1.4M

68.40%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.9K ₱1.2M

61.44%

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

$187 €163

$121 ₱7,581

54.78%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$14.64 ₱918

3.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$27.79 ₱1,743

35.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$32.11 ₱2,014

74.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$4.66 ₱293

266.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$5.45 ₱342

109.36%

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

$997 €869

$134 ₱8,376

646.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$8,051 ₱504.9K

105.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$31.60 ₱1,982

193.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$19.73 ₱1,238

108.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$77.0 ₱4,830

44.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$55.9 ₱3,509

123.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$271 ₱17.0K

530.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$189 ₱11.9K

579.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$495 ₱31.0K

418.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$352 ₱22.1K

451.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,631 ₱165.0K

190.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,047 ₱65.7K

393.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$350 ₱22.0K

570.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.2

-56.11%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $271 in Tacloban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 570% 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 $16.00 in Tacloban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $200 per month, with Tacloban 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 Tacloban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tacloban differ by about 221% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $772 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 570% 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 $271 in Tacloban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $134 in Tacloban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $772 in Tacloban versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tacloban but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tacloban 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 Tacloban 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 Tacloban gentler on the wallet – expenses run 221% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.