Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Philippines Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Philippines

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Spain versus $759 in Philippines.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,401 in Spain versus $1,184 in Philippines.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Spain versus $1,609 in Philippines.

Living in Spain is roughly 117% more expensive than Philippines on average.

Spain (23% above) and Philippines (43% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $1,133 to $3,262, compared to $487$1,232 in Philippines. City choice carries more weight in Spain.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.17 €13.91
$3.95 ₱243
309.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.3 €49.27
$21.33 ₱1,316
168.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.62 €9.14
$3.57 ₱220
197.48%
Cappuccino
$2.38 €2.05
$2.30 ₱142
3.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 €2.23
$0.71 ₱43.96
264.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.91 €1.64
$0.41 ₱25.28
365.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.49 €3.00
$1.35 ₱83.1
158.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.03 €3.46
$2.07 ₱128
94.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 €1.07
$1.87 ₱115
-33.69%
White Bread (500g)
$1.59 €1.37
$1.31 ₱80.8
21.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.59 €1.37
$0.93 ₱57.6
70.97%
Eggs
$3.05 €2.62
$2.12 ₱131
43.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.55 €12.52
$7.84 ₱483
85.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.42 €7.24
$4.34 ₱268
94.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.52 €13.35
$7.61 ₱469
103.94%
Apples (1kg)
$2.54 €2.18
$2.96 ₱182
-14.19%
Banana (1kg)
$2.01 €1.73
$1.50 ₱92.2
34.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.09 €1.80
$2.73 ₱168
-23.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.53 €2.18
$1.58 ₱97.2
60.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.59
$2.20 ₱136
-15.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 €1.63
$2.62 ₱161
-27.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 €1.16
$1.39 ₱85.7
-2.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.64
$0.75 ₱46.31
-1.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.35 €5.47
$3.02 ₱186
110.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.66 €4.87
$6.49 ₱400
-12.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 €1.08
$1.14 ₱70.0
9.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.77
$1.87 ₱115
10.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Philippines
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.69 €1.46
$0.26 ₱16.03
550.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.10 €30.20
$10.84 ₱668
223.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.42 €3.80
$0.83 ₱51.2
432.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 €1.15
$0.27 ₱16.81
396.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.32 €22.64
$2.62 ₱162
904.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 €1.58
$1.18 ₱72.5
55.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.8K €33.4K
$22.9K ₱1.4M
69.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K €27.2K
$21.7K ₱1.3M
45.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 €129
$109 ₱6,727
37.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.56 €17.69
$28.52 ₱1,758
-27.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.49 €29.67
$29.82 ₱1,839
15.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.96 €41.25
$33.26 ₱2,051
44.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.05 €13.80
$5.64 ₱348
184.57%
Cinema Ticket
$8.99 €7.73
$6.16 ₱380
45.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$509 €438
$106 ₱6,526
380.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,884 €8,502
$4,378 ₱270.0K
125.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.5 €74.4
$45.01 ₱2,776
92.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.14 €31.95
$24.91 ₱1,536
49.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.0 €79.1
$72.5 ₱4,473
26.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$109 €93.6
$63.0 ₱3,883
72.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Philippines
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,045 €899
$314 ₱19.4K
232.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$834 €717
$176 ₱10.9K
373.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 €1,453
$647 ₱39.9K
161.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 €1,065
$361 ₱22.3K
242.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,378 €3,766
$3,004 ₱185.2K
45.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,747 €2,363
$1,405 ₱86.7K
95.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,073 €1,783
$329 ₱20.3K
529.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.51
7.22
-51.39%

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

Last update for Spain: May 30, 2026

Last update for Philippines: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $898 in Spain, $259 in Philippines. Capital cities: $1,566 in Madrid vs $500 in Manila.

National salary averages: $2,030 in Spain, $293 in Philippines. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 247% higher in Spain.

Dining out costs 179% more in Spain.

Public transport is 1000% more expensive in Spain.

Salaries are 593% higher in Spain, giving Spain stronger purchasing power.

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
Spain vs Philippines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Philippines or Spain?
At $860 per month in Philippines and $2,198 in Spain, there's a 156% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Philippines or Spain?
Philippines is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between Philippines and Spain?
Rent in Spain beats Philippines across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
How far does $2,000 go in Philippines vs Spain?
In Philippines, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Spain, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Philippines and Spain?
It depends on what you're after. Philippines wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

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