Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iligan City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iligan City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $792 in Iligan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,213 in Iligan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,633 in Iligan City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 195% more expensive than Iligan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Iligan City is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.60 ₱219

374.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$17.38 ₱1,056

298.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$3.35 ₱203

311.34%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.35 ₱143

17.45%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.78 ₱47.27

257.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.40 ₱24.12

397.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.34 ₱81.5

225.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.08 ₱127

127.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.28 ₱138

-43.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.21 ₱73.5

69.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.94 ₱56.8

111.70%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.09 ₱127

62.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$7.81 ₱474

140.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.00 ₱303

87.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$7.63 ₱463

150.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.87 ₱174

-5.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.53 ₱92.7

52.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.67 ₱162

-20.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.55 ₱93.9

83.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.23 ₱135

-11.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.58 ₱157

-30.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.12 ₱67.9

29.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.77 ₱46.57

11.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.91 ₱176

132.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.03 ₱487

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.21 ₱73.6

14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.96 ₱119

20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.26 ₱15.74

1023.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.81 ₱49.48

450.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.22 ₱13.35

831.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$2.09 ₱127

1313.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.10 ₱67.0

65.45%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$26.8K ₱1.6M

44.75%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

60.06%

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

$189 €163

$115 ₱6,958

65.14%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$32.67 ₱1,984

-30.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$27.08 ₱1,644

38.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$33.54 ₱2,036

72.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$4.48 ₱272

362.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.08 ₱369

77.96%

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

$728 €628

$151 ₱9,167

382.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,286 ₱260.3K

244.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$46.56 ₱2,827

90.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$26.49 ₱1,608

39.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$76.6 ₱4,653

33.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$53.6 ₱3,257

116.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$269 ₱16.4K

482.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$180 ₱10.9K

576.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$595 ₱36.1K

369.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$401 ₱24.4K

392.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,494 ₱151.4K

210.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$993 ₱60.3K

421.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$200 ₱12.1K

1073.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

6.67

-49.18%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $269 in Iligan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1073% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Iligan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $212 per month, with Iligan City cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Iligan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Iligan City differ by about 195% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $792 including rent). Iligan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1073% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $269 in Iligan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $151 in Iligan City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Iligan City – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $792 in Iligan City versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iligan City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Iligan City 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, Barcelona and Iligan City 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 Iligan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 195% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.