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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $770 in Iligan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,205 in Iligan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,641 in Iligan City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 207% more expensive than in Iligan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Iligan City is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.96

$3.44 ₱211

398.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.3

$17.46 ₱1,072

289.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.89

$3.34 ₱205

308.38%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.42

$2.39 ₱147

16.32%

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

$2.82 €2.46

$0.78 ₱47.99

261.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.36 ₱22.30

444.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.86

$1.32 ₱80.9

235.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.01

$2.18 ₱134

111.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.19 ₱134

-42.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.22 ₱75.1

74.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.94 ₱57.6

111.70%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.93

$2.01 ₱124

67.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.53

$7.98 ₱490

137.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.31

$4.92 ₱302

93.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.33

$7.64 ₱469

145.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.31

$2.88 ₱177

-7.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.53 ₱93.7

53.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$2.61 ₱160

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.55 ₱95.0

76.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.71

$2.27 ₱140

-13.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$2.55 ₱157

-29.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.07 ₱65.6

41.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$0.77 ₱47.56

15.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.91

$2.77 ₱170

144.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.90

$8.07 ₱496

-1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.21 ₱74.5

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.99 ₱122

20.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.54

$0.28 ₱17.21

939.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.98

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.99

$0.82 ₱50.5

458.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.22 ₱13.44

827.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €25.03

$2.08 ₱127

1280.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.09 ₱66.8

66.97%

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

$39.3K €34.3K

$26.2K ₱1.6M

50.22%

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

$32.5K €28.3K

$20.1K ₱1.2M

61.26%

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

$187 €163

$110 ₱6,784

68.93%

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

$22.29 €19.43

$33.32 ₱2,046

-33.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.71

$27.79 ₱1,706

30.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €50.2

$34.32 ₱2,107

67.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €18.08

$4.41 ₱271

370.29%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.39

$5.99 ₱368

79.80%

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

$725 €632

$151 ₱9,275

379.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.2K

$4,325 ₱265.6K

250.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.6

$45.07 ₱2,767

94.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €32.09

$26.22 ₱1,610

40.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.2

$75.8 ₱4,656

36.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$52.4 ₱3,218

126.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,328

$263 ₱16.2K

479.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,070

$177 ₱10.9K

592.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,378

$578 ₱35.5K

372.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,730

$392 ₱24.1K

406.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,511

$2,407 ₱147.8K

210.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,571

$967 ₱59.4K

442.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,086

$199 ₱12.2K

1099.78%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $263 in Iligan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1100% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in Iligan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $211 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 207% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $770 including rent). Iligan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1100% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $263 in Iligan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $770 in Iligan City versus $2,359 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 207% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.