Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quezon City and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Quezon City: $923 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Quezon City, Philippines
Barcelona, Spain
Quezon City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$923
/mo nomad
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $923 in Quezon City versus $2,453 in Barcelona.

  • Quezon City $923
  • Barcelona $2,453

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,469 in Quezon City versus $3,509 in Barcelona.

  • Quezon City $1,469
  • Barcelona $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,016 in Quezon City versus $4,564 in Barcelona.

  • Quezon City $2,016
  • Barcelona $4,564

Living in Quezon City costs roughly 62% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quezon City is 32% below, Barcelona is 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.29 ₱274
$17.59 €15.80
-75.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.04 ₱1,217
$67.5 €60.6
-71.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.70 ₱173
$13.53 €12.15
-80.04%
Cappuccino
$2.62 ₱167
$3.19 €2.87
-17.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱43.03
$2.91 €2.62
-76.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.26 ₱16.51
$1.89 €1.70
-86.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.42 ₱91.0
$4.01 €3.60
-64.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 ₱179
$4.53 €4.07
-38.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 ₱107
$1.31 €1.17
27.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 ₱70.1
$2.02 €1.81
-45.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.85 ₱54.1
$1.85 €1.66
-54.05%
Eggs
$1.76 ₱113
$4.83 €4.34
-63.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.60 ₱422
$16.74 €15.03
-60.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.10 ₱262
$9.12 €8.19
-55.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.05 ₱450
$19.64 €17.64
-64.10%
Apples (1kg)
$3.96 ₱253
$2.98 €2.68
32.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 ₱90.3
$2.02 €1.81
-30.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.49 ₱223
$2.70 €2.43
29.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 ₱73.0
$2.80 €2.52
-59.29%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 ₱145
$2.09 €1.87
8.13%
Onion (1kg)
$3.29 ₱210
$2.07 €1.86
58.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 ₱86.9
$1.46 €1.31
-6.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 ₱60.5
$0.94 €0.84
1.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.75 ₱176
$6.87 €6.17
-59.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.24 ₱462
$7.89 €7.08
-8.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 ₱80.9
$1.41 €1.26
-9.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 ₱110
$2.54 €2.28
-32.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.52
$3.14 €2.82
-91.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.11 ₱1,221
$25.45 €22.86
-24.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.80 ₱51.2
$2.99 €2.69
-73.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.73
$1.49 €1.34
-84.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.56 ₱164
$33.37 €29.98
-92.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ₱75.0
$1.80 €1.61
-35.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.4M
$33.2K €29.8K
-36.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.6K ₱1.2M
$31.7K €28.5K
-41.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 ₱10.3K
$180 €162
-10.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.15 ₱904
$13.84 €12.43
2.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.29 ₱1,552
$33.70 €30.27
-27.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.60 ₱2,402
$51.5 €46.27
-27.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.33 ₱213
$15.96 €14.34
-79.14%
Cinema Ticket
$7.09 ₱453
$10.99 €9.88
-35.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$71.8 ₱4,588
$917 €823
-92.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,476 ₱158.2K
$16.5K €14.8K
-84.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.53 ₱2,206
$87.0 €78.2
-60.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.92 ₱1,400
$38.51 €34.59
-43.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.5 ₱5,014
$106 €95.1
-25.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.5 ₱4,825
$120 €108
-36.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$476 ₱30.4K
$1,699 €1,527
-71.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$263 ₱16.8K
$1,355 €1,217
-80.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$984 ₱62.9K
$2,603 €2,338
-62.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$691 ₱44.1K
$2,062 €1,853
-66.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,779 ₱177.6K
$6,915 €6,211
-59.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,839 ₱117.5K
$5,128 €4,606
-64.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quezon City
Barcelona
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$428 ₱27.4K
$2,211 €1,986
-80.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
3.28
113.41%

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

Last update for Quezon City: October 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quezon City
$263
Barcelona
$1.4K 416% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Quezon City
$202
Barcelona
$322 59.4% $120
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quezon City
$199
Barcelona
$228 14.4% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Quezon City
$95
Barcelona
$158 66.8% $63
Eating Out
Quezon City
$90
Barcelona
$268 197% $178
Sport & Entertainment
Quezon City
$52
Barcelona
$74 41.9% $22
Getting Around
Quezon City
$22
Barcelona
$48 119% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Quezon City and $1,699 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 5.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $19 in Quezon City vs $67 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $322 per month, with Quezon City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Quezon City
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🕒 Local time
23:10 11:10 PM
16:10 4:10 PM
7 h behind Quezon City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,936,116
1,660,122
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quezon City Barcelona 11,180 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quezon City
  • 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
Quezon City vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Quezon City and in Barcelona?
Quezon City and Barcelona differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($923 vs $2,453 including rent). Quezon City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Quezon City. 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 Quezon City and in Barcelona?
Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Quezon City 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 Quezon City and Barcelona?
Childcare runs $72 in Quezon City 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 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $800 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Quezon City is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Quezon City 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.
Where should expats move: Quezon City or Barcelona?
Expats usually find Quezon City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Quezon City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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