Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iligan City

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $724 a month against $2,453 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona, Spain
Iligan City, Philippines
Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,453
/mo nomad
Iligan City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$724
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Iligan City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelona and in Iligan City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,453 in Barcelona versus $724 in Iligan City.

  • Barcelona $2,453
  • Iligan City $724

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,509 in Barcelona versus $1,102 in Iligan City.

  • Barcelona $3,509
  • Iligan City $1,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,564 in Barcelona versus $1,480 in Iligan City.

  • Barcelona $4,564
  • Iligan City $1,480

Living in Barcelona is roughly 239% more expensive than in Iligan City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Iligan City is 47% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.59 €15.80
$3.84 ₱245
358.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 €60.6
$15.80 ₱1,010
327.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.53 €12.15
$2.71 ₱173
399.26%
Cappuccino
$3.19 €2.87
$1.86 ₱119
71.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.62
$0.63 ₱40.42
361.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 €1.70
$0.34 ₱21.46
455.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.01 €3.60
$1.22 ₱78.2
228.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.53 €4.07
$2.03 ₱130
123.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.99 ₱127
-34.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.15 ₱73.6
75.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.85 €1.66
$0.90 ₱57.3
105.56%
Eggs
$4.83 €4.34
$1.83 ₱117
163.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.74 €15.03
$5.40 ₱345
210.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 €8.19
$4.22 ₱269
116.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.64 €17.64
$6.99 ₱447
180.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.98 €2.68
$2.36 ₱151
26.27%
Banana (1kg)
$2.02 €1.81
$1.55 ₱99.3
30.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 €2.43
$2.37 ₱152
13.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.80 €2.52
$1.12 ₱71.7
150.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.09 €1.87
$2.05 ₱131
1.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.86
$2.18 ₱139
-5.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$1.11 ₱70.6
31.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 €0.84
$0.53 ₱33.79
77.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.87 €6.17
$2.89 ₱185
137.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.89 €7.08
$7.21 ₱461
9.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 €1.26
$0.94 ₱60.1
50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 €2.28
$2.12 ₱136
19.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.14 €2.82
$0.20 ₱13.10
1470.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.45 €22.86
$12.12 ₱774
109.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 €2.69
$0.71 ₱45.11
321.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.49 €1.34
$0.22 ₱13.94
577.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.98
$1.64 ₱105
1934.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.14 ₱72.6
57.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.8K
$23.2K ₱1.5M
42.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K €28.5K
$21.6K ₱1.4M
46.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$180 €162
$122 ₱7,803
47.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.84 €12.43
$15.88 ₱1,014
-12.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.70 €30.27
$23.84 ₱1,523
41.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.5 €46.27
$31.47 ₱2,011
63.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.96 €14.34
$4.95 ₱316
222.42%
Cinema Ticket
$10.99 €9.88
$5.00 ₱319
119.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$917 €823
$146 ₱9,357
525.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.8K
$8,694 ₱555.5K
89.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €78.2
$32.99 ₱2,108
163.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 €34.59
$17.82 ₱1,139
116.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 €95.1
$70.0 ₱4,469
51.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 €108
$55.4 ₱3,540
116.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,699 €1,527
$112 ₱7,131
1422.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,217
$170 ₱10.9K
697.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,603 €2,338
$497 ₱31.8K
423.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,062 €1,853
$354 ₱22.6K
483.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,915 €6,211
$2,693 ₱172.0K
156.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,128 €4,606
$1,258 ₱80.4K
307.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Iligan City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,211 €1,986
$193 ₱12.3K
1045.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
6.92
-52.60%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 25, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.4K
Iligan City
$170 87.5% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$322
Iligan City
$181 43.6% $140
Eating Out
Barcelona
$268
Iligan City
$75 71.9% $193
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$228
Iligan City
$162 29% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Iligan City
$79 49.8% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$74
Iligan City
$41 43.6% $32
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Iligan City
$15 69.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Barcelona and $112 in Iligan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Barcelona vs $16 in Iligan City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $181 per month, with Iligan City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇵🇭 Iligan City
🕒 Local time
03:52 3:52 AM
10:52 10:52 AM
7 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
342,618
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.13 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Iligan City 11,950 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Iligan City

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
Barcelona vs Iligan City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Iligan City?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,453 in Barcelona and $724 in Iligan City, so Iligan City is about 70% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Iligan City?
Average pay in Barcelona is about 11 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Barcelona and in Iligan City?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,699 in Barcelona versus $112 in Iligan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barcelona and Iligan City?
Childcare runs $917 in Barcelona versus $146 in Iligan City. 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 77% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $724 in Iligan City versus $2,453 in Barcelona, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Iligan City?
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: Barcelona or Iligan City?
Expats usually find Iligan City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barcelona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?