Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Princesa and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Princesa: $702 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Puerto Princesa, Philippines
Barcelona, Spain
Puerto Princesa
🇵🇭 Philippines
$702
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa and in Barcelona actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $702 in Puerto Princesa versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Puerto Princesa $702
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,049 in Puerto Princesa versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Puerto Princesa $1,049
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,395 in Puerto Princesa versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Puerto Princesa $1,395
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Puerto Princesa costs roughly 71% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Princesa is 48% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.34 ₱275
$17.59 €15.71
-75.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.69 ₱1,058
$67.5 €60.3
-75.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.39 ₱278
$13.53 €12.08
-67.55%
Cappuccino
$2.25 ₱142
$3.19 €2.85
-29.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 ₱52.2
$2.91 €2.60
-71.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.78
$1.89 €1.69
-71.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.22 ₱77.1
$4.01 €3.58
-69.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 ₱148
$4.53 €4.05
-48.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 ₱107
$1.31 €1.17
29.01%
White Bread (500g)
$0.94 ₱59.4
$2.02 €1.80
-53.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.76 ₱48.42
$1.85 €1.65
-58.92%
Eggs
$1.67 ₱106
$4.83 €4.32
-65.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.53 ₱350
$16.74 €14.95
-66.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.70 ₱361
$9.12 €8.14
-37.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.62 ₱419
$19.64 €17.54
-66.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.36 ₱150
$2.98 €2.66
-20.81%
Banana (1kg)
$0.91 ₱57.5
$2.02 €1.80
-54.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.42 ₱154
$2.70 €2.41
-10.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.12 ₱70.8
$2.80 €2.50
-60.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 ₱93.3
$2.09 €1.86
-29.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 ₱84.9
$2.07 €1.85
-35.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 ₱57.2
$1.46 €1.30
-38.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.40
$0.94 €0.84
-28.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.92 ₱185
$6.87 €6.14
-57.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.30 ₱462
$7.89 €7.04
-7.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 ₱66.8
$1.41 €1.26
-25.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 ₱85.5
$2.54 €2.26
-46.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.55
$3.14 €2.81
-91.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.24 ₱712
$25.45 €22.73
-55.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.78 ₱49.72
$2.99 €2.67
-73.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.59
$1.49 €1.33
-84.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.94 ₱123
$33.37 €29.81
-94.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 ₱66.6
$1.80 €1.61
-41.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.7K ₱1.1M
$33.2K €29.6K
-49.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.0K ₱1.2M
$31.7K €28.3K
-40.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.2 ₱3,878
$180 €161
-66.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.89 ₱690
$13.84 €12.36
-21.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.59 ₱1,559
$33.70 €30.10
-27.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.78 ₱2,014
$51.5 €46.01
-38.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.54 ₱288
$15.96 €14.26
-71.55%
Cinema Ticket
$5.20 ₱330
$10.99 €9.82
-52.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$130 ₱8,246
$917 €819
-85.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,036 ₱509.3K
$16.5K €14.7K
-51.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.61 ₱2,067
$87.0 €77.7
-62.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.40 ₱1,230
$38.51 €34.39
-49.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.1 ₱4,567
$106 €94.5
-31.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.5 ₱3,581
$120 €107
-52.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$283 ₱17.9K
$1,699 €1,518
-83.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$202 ₱12.8K
$1,355 €1,211
-85.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$524 ₱33.2K
$2,603 €2,325
-79.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$319 ₱20.2K
$2,062 €1,842
-84.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,416 ₱153.1K
$6,915 €6,176
-65.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,128 ₱71.5K
$5,128 €4,580
-78.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto Princesa
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$220 ₱14.0K
$2,211 €1,975
-90.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.12
3.28
147.56%

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

Last update for Puerto Princesa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Puerto Princesa
$202
Barcelona
$1.4K 570% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Puerto Princesa
$175
Barcelona
$322 84.2% $147
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Princesa
$97
Barcelona
$228 136% $131
Eating Out
Puerto Princesa
$91
Barcelona
$268 194% $177
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Princesa
$81
Barcelona
$158 94.4% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Princesa
$42
Barcelona
$74 74.3% $31
Getting Around
Puerto Princesa
$14
Barcelona
$48 241% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Puerto Princesa and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $17 in Puerto Princesa vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $322 per month, with Puerto Princesa cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
12:20 12:20 PM
05:20 5:20 AM
7 h behind Puerto Princesa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
307,079
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.38 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.04 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto Princesa Barcelona 11,410 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Puerto Princesa
  • 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
Puerto Princesa vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Puerto Princesa and in Barcelona?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $702 in Puerto Princesa and $2,453 in Barcelona, so Puerto Princesa is about 71% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Puerto Princesa. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Puerto Princesa and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Puerto Princesa versus $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Puerto Princesa and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $130 in Puerto Princesa versus $917 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $702 in Puerto Princesa versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Princesa but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Princesa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Puerto Princesa and Barcelona?
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.
Is Puerto Princesa or Barcelona safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Puerto Princesa and Barcelona are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Puerto Princesa or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Puerto Princesa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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