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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $723 in Iligan City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,113 in Iligan City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,503 in Iligan City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 243% more expensive than in Iligan City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Iligan City is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$3.65 ₱229

404.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$16.77 ₱1,051

313.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$2.74 ₱172

412.77%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.96 ₱123

58.67%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.63 ₱39.33

369.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.32 ₱19.81

509.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.06 ₱66.2

276.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.98

$1.83 ₱115

152.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.97 ₱123

-32.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.12 ₱70.4

88.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.93 ₱58.1

96.77%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$1.92 ₱121

168.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.14

$5.39 ₱338

225.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.19

$4.29 ₱269

121.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.18

$6.93 ₱435

187.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.30 ₱144

37.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.55 ₱97.2

42.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.36 ₱148

10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.15 ₱72.0

147.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.02 ₱127

7.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.02 ₱127

4.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.76 ₱47.89

113.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.52 ₱32.37

69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$2.70 ₱169

165.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$7.82 ₱490

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.93 ₱58.4

61.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.83 ₱114

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.27 ₱17.08

1062.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.63

$11.29 ₱708

132.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$0.74 ₱46.29

335.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.27 ₱16.94

459.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.39

$2.10 ₱132

1579.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.12 ₱69.9

56.25%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

73.12%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$17.7K ₱1.1M

79.05%

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

$187 €161

$118 ₱7,417

58.17%

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

$15.10 €13.01

$15.41 ₱966

-2.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.41

$24.69 ₱1,548

52.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.83

$32.15 ₱2,016

72.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$4.80 ₱301

248.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.09

$5.24 ₱329

123.47%

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

$1,011 €871

$119 ₱7,448

750.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$8,957 ₱561.5K

90.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$31.53 ₱1,976

189.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.34

$16.75 ₱1,050

144.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.3

$71.8 ₱4,502

54.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$62.8 ₱3,937

100.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$113 ₱7,074

1410.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,120

$169 ₱10.6K

669.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,231

$504 ₱31.6K

413.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$349 ₱21.9K

452.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,665

$2,826 ₱177.1K

173.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,641

$997 ₱62.5K

439.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,046

$203 ₱12.7K

1069.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

6.75

-53.19%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Iligan City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $113 in Iligan City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1070% 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 $333 vs $180 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 243% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $723 including rent). Iligan City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1070% 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $113 in Iligan City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $119 in Iligan City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Iligan City versus $2,482 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 243% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.