Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tagum City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tagum City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $750 in Tagum City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,167 in Tagum City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,584 in Tagum City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 210% more expensive than in Tagum City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Tagum City is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$3.46 ₱213

410.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$14.17 ₱872

391.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$3.70 ₱228

282.70%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.72 ₱106

62.79%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.82 ₱50.7

242.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.40 ₱24.42

415.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.30 ₱79.7

253.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$1.35 ₱83.2

247.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.89 ₱116

-34.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.21 ₱74.4

67.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.94 ₱58.1

110.64%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.05 ₱126

70.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$8.13 ₱501

125.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$4.13 ₱254

138.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$7.74 ₱476

147.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.97 ₱183

-8.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.52 ₱93.7

56.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.62 ₱161

-20.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.53 ₱94.5

79.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.33 ₱143

-15.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.62 ₱161

-31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.06 ₱65.4

39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.71 ₱43.96

28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.88 ₱178

147.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.15 ₱70.9

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.06 ₱127

16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.28 ₱17.28

975.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.77 ₱47.41

466.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.22 ₱13.51

868.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$2.16 ₱133

1270.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.10 ₱67.6

65.45%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

41.44%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$20.0K ₱1.2M

61.62%

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

$189 €165

$110 ₱6,797

71.22%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$32.99 ₱2,031

-32.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$27.75 ₱1,708

33.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$34.31 ₱2,112

69.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$4.54 ₱280

355.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$5.79 ₱357

87.74%

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

$706 €618

$150 ₱9,259

369.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,355 ₱268.1K

241.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$44.99 ₱2,770

98.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$26.20 ₱1,613

39.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$76.7 ₱4,719

35.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$52.6 ₱3,236

127.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$267 ₱16.4K

492.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$177 ₱10.9K

599.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$596 ₱36.7K

355.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$395 ₱24.3K

415.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$209 ₱12.9K

1031.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.67

-49.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $267 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1032% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $14.00 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $188 per month, with Tagum City 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 Tagum City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tagum City differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $750 including rent). Tagum City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1032% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $267 in Tagum City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $150 in Tagum City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tagum City – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $750 in Tagum City versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tagum City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tagum City 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 Tagum City 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 Tagum City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.