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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $754 in Tagum City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,162 in Tagum City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,571 in Tagum City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 214% more expensive than Tagum City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Tagum City is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.56 ₱220

393.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$14.14 ₱872

384.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$3.75 ₱231

274.93%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.63 ₱101

70.55%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.76 ₱46.87

268.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.39 ₱24.06

428.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.36 ₱83.7

227.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$1.36 ₱84.1

238.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.90 ₱117

-34.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.22 ₱75.5

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.95 ₱58.4

102.11%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.98 ₱122

67.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.18 ₱504

125.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.24 ₱261

123.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.89 ₱486

142.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.85 ₱176

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.57 ₱97.1

56.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.59 ₱160

-18.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.60 ₱98.5

78.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.22 ₱137

-8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.60 ₱160

-28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.07 ₱66.1

37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.71 ₱43.60

18.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.90 ₱179

146.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.19 ₱73.7

15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.00 ₱123

15.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.26 ₱16.02

1046.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.83 ₱51.0

454.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.24 ₱14.88

762.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.08 ₱128

1302.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.09 ₱67.1

68.81%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.6K ₱1.6M

46.53%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.6K ₱1.3M

58.35%

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

$188 €162

$111 ₱6,847

69.15%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$33.26 ₱2,051

-31.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$27.67 ₱1,706

32.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$33.83 ₱2,086

69.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$4.39 ₱271

371.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$6.00 ₱370

86.50%

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

$721 €620

$149 ₱9,201

383.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$4,361 ₱268.9K

244.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$46.04 ₱2,839

87.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$26.94 ₱1,661

37.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$74.4 ₱4,585

37.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$53.2 ₱3,278

118.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$271 ₱16.7K

466.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$179 ₱11.0K

583.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$597 ₱36.8K

351.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$398 ₱24.5K

406.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$206 ₱12.7K

1042.73%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tagum City: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $271 in Tagum City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1043% 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 $14.00 in Tagum City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $189 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 214% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $754 including rent). Tagum City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1043% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $271 in Tagum City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $149 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $754 in Tagum City versus $2,367 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 214% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.