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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $845 in Tacloban.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,214 in Tacloban.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,583 in Tacloban.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 179% more expensive than in Tacloban, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tacloban is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.38 ₱268

291.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$17.42 ₱1,067

290.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$2.72 ₱167

401.47%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.65 ₱162

4.91%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.76 ₱46.81

271.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.38 ₱23.36

415.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.56 ₱95.6

183.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.19 ₱134

110.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$2.29 ₱140

-44.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.58 ₱96.5

34.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.98 ₱59.8

103.06%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.38 ₱146

41.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$12.71 ₱778

49.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$4.73 ₱290

101.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.93 ₱485

136.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.52 ₱215

-24.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.22 ₱74.4

92.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$3.29 ₱202

-36.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.75 ₱107

56.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.65 ₱162

-26.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.49 ₱152

-27.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.94 ₱57.4

60.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.84 ₱51.6

5.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.18 ₱134

211.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$6.22 ₱381

27.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.21 ₱74.0

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.30 ₱141

4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.18 ₱11.05

1516.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.87 ₱53.5

426.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.17 ₱10.57

1100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$2.60 ₱159

1004.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.09 ₱66.9

66.97%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$30.2K ₱1.8M

30.24%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.3K ₱1.7M

18.97%

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

$187 €162

$97.3 ₱5,955

91.85%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$33.84 ₱2,071

-34.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$29.29 ₱1,793

24.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$34.44 ₱2,108

67.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$4.35 ₱266

376.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$5.91 ₱362

82.23%

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

$725 €628

$236 ₱14.4K

207.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$3,840 ₱235.1K

294.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$46.59 ₱2,852

88.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$22.58 ₱1,382

63.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$75.0 ₱4,589

37.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$54.8 ₱3,354

116.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$245 ₱15.0K

522.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$210 ₱12.9K

483.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$800 ₱49.0K

240.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$236 ₱14.4K

742.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,367 ₱144.9K

215.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$968 ₱59.3K

441.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$352 ₱21.5K

580.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-57.62%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tacloban: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $245 in Tacloban. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 581% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Tacloban for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $234 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 179% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $845 including rent). Tacloban is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 581% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $245 in Tacloban. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $236 in Tacloban. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tacloban – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $845 in Tacloban versus $2,359 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 179% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.