For one person, living is cheaper in the Philippines: $883 a month against $1,796 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Spain and in the Philippines
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Spain and in the Philippines actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,796 in Spain versus $883 in the Philippines.
Spain $1,796
Philippines $883
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,612 in Spain versus $1,365 in the Philippines.
Spain $2,612
Philippines $1,365
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Spain versus $1,846 in the Philippines.
Spain $3,429
Philippines $1,846
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in Spain: monthly costs span $932 to $2,592, compared to $124–$1,174 in the Philippines. City choice carries more weight in Spain.
🌍
Living in Spain is roughly 103% more expensive than in the Philippines on average.
📊
Spain (33% above) and the Philippines (35% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.93€15.14
$4.00₱254
323.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.3€50.4
$23.75₱1,507
137.14%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.32€10.12
$3.93₱250
188.04%
Cappuccino
$2.42€2.16
$2.30₱146
5.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55€2.28
$0.79₱50.0
222.78%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79€1.60
$0.44₱27.62
306.82%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.34€2.99
$1.33₱84.5
151.13%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.03€3.60
$2.39₱152
68.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.15€1.03
$1.75₱111
-34.29%
White Bread(500g)
$1.47€1.31
$1.29₱81.9
13.95%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.68€1.50
$0.93₱59.2
80.65%
Eggs
$3.43€3.06
$2.03₱129
68.97%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.11€12.62
$7.83₱497
80.20%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.64€7.73
$4.46₱283
93.72%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.44€14.70
$7.25₱460
126.76%
Apples(1kg)
$2.53€2.26
$3.05₱193
-17.05%
Banana(1kg)
$2.05€1.83
$1.51₱96.0
35.76%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.03€1.81
$2.42₱153
-16.12%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.46€2.20
$1.65₱105
49.09%
Potato(1kg)
$1.87€1.67
$2.14₱136
-12.62%
Onion(1kg)
$1.95€1.74
$2.31₱146
-15.58%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.37€1.22
$1.71₱109
-19.88%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74€0.66
$0.62₱39.58
19.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.61€5.91
$3.04₱193
117.43%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.52€4.94
$7.26₱460
-23.97%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28€1.14
$1.18₱75.1
8.47%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08€1.86
$1.83₱116
13.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Philippines
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.64€1.47
$0.23₱14.55
613.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$32.79€29.32
$13.47₱854
143.43%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.91€3.49
$1.02₱64.5
283.33%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.32€1.18
$0.22₱13.96
500.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.47€23.67
$1.93₱122
1271.50%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.75€1.56
$1.19₱75.5
47.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.9K€31.2K
$21.4K₱1.4M
62.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K€27.4K
$18.8K₱1.2M
62.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$146€130
$115₱7,326
26.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.77€15.89
$14.02₱889
26.75%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.25€28.84
$26.85₱1,703
20.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.93€40.18
$35.19₱2,233
27.68%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.01€13.42
$6.10₱387
146.07%
Cinema Ticket
$9.36€8.37
$6.25₱397
49.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$564€504
$296₱18.8K
90.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.3K€11.9K
$9,773₱620.0K
35.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.3€75.4
$50.3₱3,193
67.45%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.06€33.14
$25.88₱1,642
43.20%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$91.2€81.5
$72.8₱4,618
25.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108€96.3
$59.8₱3,793
80.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Philippines
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,025€917
$459₱29.1K
123.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$829€741
$279₱17.7K
196.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,641€1,467
$1,067₱67.7K
53.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,231€1,101
$569₱36.1K
116.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,131€3,694
$4,174₱264.8K
-1.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,739€2,449
$2,305₱146.2K
18.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Philippines
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,012€1,799
$325₱20.6K
518.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.3
7.02
-52.99%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Spain: November 2, 2026
Last update for the Philippines: October 31, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$829 46.2%
Philippines
$279 31.6% ↓ 66.3%$550
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272 15.2%
Philippines
$201 22.8% ↓ 26.1%$71
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$241 13.4%
Philippines
$88 9.9% ↓ 63.5%$153
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$196 10.9%
Philippines
$156 17.7% ↓ 20.2%$40
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$144 8%
Philippines
$94 10.6% ↓ 34.8%$50
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64 3.5%
Philippines
$48 5.4% ↓ 25.1%$16
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$50 2.8%
Philippines
$17 1.9% ↓ 66.9%$33
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$1.2K 35.9%
Philippines
$569 30.8% ↓ 53.8%$662
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$649 18.9%
Philippines
$470 25.5% ↓ 27.6%$179
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$770 22.5%
Philippines
$293 15.9% ↓ 61.9%$477
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$214 6.2%
Philippines
$170 9.2% ↓ 20.3%$43
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$320 9.3%
Philippines
$209 11.3% ↓ 34.8%$111
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$142 4.2%
Philippines
$102 5.5% ↓ 28.7%$41
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$103 3%
Philippines
$33 1.8% ↓ 67.5%$69
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $937 in Spain, $302 in the Philippines. Capital cities: $1,525 in Madrid vs $533 in Manila.
💰National salary averages: $1,975 in Spain, $270 in the Philippines. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 210% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 200% more in Spain.
⭐Public transport is 138% more expensive in Spain.
⭐Salaries are about 7.3 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.
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
Spain vs Philippines: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: the Philippines or Spain?
At $883 per month in the Philippines and $1,796 in Spain, the Philippines comes out about 51% cheaper. 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: the Philippines or Spain?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in the Philippines: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
How do rents compare between the Philippines and Spain?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $937 in Spain and $302 in the Philippines. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $2,000 go in the Philippines compared to Spain?
In the Philippines, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in the Philippines and in Spain?
It depends on what you’re after: the Philippines wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.