Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Makati and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Makati: $1,228 a month against $2,399 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Makati
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Makati Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
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Barcelona Living Index

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Makati

🇵🇭 Philippines

$1,228

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Makati and in Barcelona

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Makati and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,228 in Makati versus $2,399 in Barcelona.

Makati $1,228
Barcelona $2,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Makati versus $3,410 in Barcelona.

Makati $2,028
Barcelona $3,410

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,828 in Makati versus $4,421 in Barcelona.

Makati $2,828
Barcelona $4,421

Living in Makati costs roughly 49% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Makati is 9% below, Barcelona is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.22 ₱392

$17.94 €15.96

-65.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.57 ₱2,491

$68.1 €60.5

-41.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ₱307

$13.28 €11.81

-63.25%

Cappuccino

$2.55 ₱161

$3.25 €2.89

-21.54%

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

$1.06 ₱67.0

$3.01 €2.67

-64.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₱31.54

$1.87 €1.66

-73.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.38 ₱150

$3.85 €3.42

-38.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 ₱202

$4.48 €3.98

-28.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ₱120

$1.29 €1.15

47.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₱81.5

$2.04 €1.81

-36.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱67.0

$1.72 €1.53

-38.37%

Eggs

$2.47 ₱155

$4.77 €4.24

-48.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ₱459

$16.77 €14.92

-56.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 ₱306

$8.93 €7.94

-45.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 ₱442

$19.88 €17.68

-64.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₱254

$2.98 €2.65

35.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ₱122

$2.03 €1.80

-4.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 ₱203

$2.73 €2.43

17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₱144

$2.68 €2.38

-14.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$2.10 €1.87

65.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 ₱226

$2.08 €1.85

72.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 ₱66.8

$1.45 €1.29

-26.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ₱69.7

$0.89 €0.79

24.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 ₱169

$6.94 €6.17

-61.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 ₱511

$7.78 €6.92

4.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₱82.9

$1.45 €1.29

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

$2.57 €2.29

-22.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 ₱56.4

$2.99 €2.66

-69.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 ₱3,575

$25.20 €22.41

125.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 ₱41.91

$3.12 €2.77

-78.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱13.16

$1.44 €1.28

-85.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 ₱121

$33.50 €29.80

-94.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ₱78.8

$1.79 €1.59

-30.17%

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

$21.3K ₱1.3M

$34.6K €30.8K

-38.62%

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

$19.6K ₱1.2M

$30.1K €26.7K

-34.94%

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

$153 ₱9,620

$178 €158

-14.08%

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

$16.06 ₱1,011

$13.32 €11.85

20.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.37 ₱2,038

$34.88 €31.03

-7.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ₱3,456

$53.3 €47.37

3.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ₱890

$16.01 €14.24

-11.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱454

$11.06 €9.84

-34.72%

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

$794 ₱50.0K

$957 €851

-16.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,321 ₱460.9K

$16.6K €14.7K

-55.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,850

$88.2 €78.4

-30.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.86 ₱2,321

$39.49 €35.12

-6.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ₱5,129

$103 €91.5

-20.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 ₱6,510

$121 €108

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₱51.3K

$1,653 €1,470

-50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 ₱26.3K

$1,302 €1,158

-67.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,274 ₱143.2K

$2,557 €2,275

-11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 ₱67.3K

$1,915 €1,703

-44.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,869 ₱369.5K

$7,286 €6,481

-19.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,738 ₱235.4K

$5,080 €4,519

-26.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$601 ₱37.9K

$2,281 €2,029

-73.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

3.28

128.66%

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

Last update for Makati: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Makati

$417 34%

Barcelona

$1.3K 54.3% 212% $884

Groceries & Markets

Makati

$231 18.8%

Barcelona

$320 13.3% 38.3% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Makati

$201 16.4%

Barcelona

$226 9.4% 12.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Makati

$127 10.4%

Barcelona

$158 6.6% 24.4% $31

Eating Out

Makati

$120 9.7%

Barcelona

$270 11.3% 126% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Makati

$69 5.6%

Barcelona

$75 3.1% 8.7% $6.1

Getting Around

Makati

$62 5.1%

Barcelona

$47 2% 23.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Makati and $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 279% 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: $40.00 in Makati vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $320 per month, with Makati cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Makati

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

05:57 5:57 AM

23:57 11:57 PM

6 h behind Makati

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

582,602

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Makati Barcelona 11,190 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Makati
Barcelona

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Makati vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makati and Barcelona differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($1,228 vs $2,399 including rent). Makati is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 279% lower in Barcelona. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $815 in Makati versus $1,653 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $794 in Makati versus $957 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,228 in Makati versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makati but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Makati 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, Makati and Barcelona 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 Makati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.