Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iloilo

For one person, living is cheaper in Iloilo: $693 a month against $2,405 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barcelona
🇪🇸 Spain
$2,405
/mo nomad
Iloilo
🇵🇭 Philippines
$693
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelona and in Iloilo

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 Iloilo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in Barcelona versus $693 in Iloilo.

  • Barcelona $2,405
  • Iloilo $693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Barcelona versus $1,054 in Iloilo.

  • Barcelona $3,477
  • Iloilo $1,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,550 in Barcelona versus $1,416 in Iloilo.

  • Barcelona $4,550
  • Iloilo $1,416

Living in Barcelona is roughly 247% more expensive than in Iloilo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 79% above, Iloilo is 48% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.98 €16.05
$2.83 ₱177
535.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.4 €60.2
$19.43 ₱1,219
246.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.37 €11.93
$3.15 ₱198
324.44%
Cappuccino
$3.34 €2.98
$2.09 ₱131
59.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 €2.64
$0.65 ₱40.93
353.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 €1.69
$0.34 ₱21.39
458.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.88 €3.46
$1.06 ₱66.6
266.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.57 €4.08
$1.81 ₱113
152.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.69 ₱106
-24.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.96 €1.75
$1.20 ₱75.1
63.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$0.84 ₱52.9
108.33%
Eggs
$4.89 €4.36
$2.06 ₱129
137.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.47 €15.59
$6.05 ₱379
188.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.06 €8.09
$4.04 ₱254
124.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.18 €18.01
$6.18 ₱388
226.54%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 €2.75
$3.32 ₱208
-7.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.03 €1.81
$1.04 ₱65.3
95.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.60 €2.32
$3.06 ₱192
-15.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.71 €2.42
$1.38 ₱86.4
96.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.15 €1.92
$2.39 ₱150
-10.04%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$2.71 ₱170
-18.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.38
$1.47 ₱92.4
4.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 €0.83
$0.81 ₱50.8
14.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.09 €6.32
$2.99 ₱188
137.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.63 €6.81
$6.19 ₱388
23.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.10 ₱68.8
35.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 €2.43
$1.26 ₱78.8
116.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.95 €2.63
$0.24 ₱15.09
1129.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.91 €23.13
$4.59 ₱288
464.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.13 €2.80
$0.82 ₱51.4
281.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.34 ₱21.10
326.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.17 €30.49
$2.36 ₱148
1347.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.79 €1.60
$1.16 ₱72.9
54.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.7K €31.0K
$21.8K ₱1.4M
59.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K €27.0K
$19.5K ₱1.2M
55.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$181 €161
$64.5 ₱4,044
180.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.56 €12.10
$9.82 ₱616
38.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.12 €31.34
$27.65 ₱1,734
27.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.2 €47.44
$9.76 ₱612
444.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.05 €14.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.37 €10.14
$4.70 ₱295
141.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$939 €838
$31.77 ₱1,993
2855.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.5K €14.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.2 €78.7
$23.50 ₱1,474
275.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.77 €35.49
$17.74 ₱1,113
124.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 €92.3
$55.5 ₱3,480
86.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €107
$23.96 ₱1,503
398.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,695 €1,513
$308 ₱19.3K
449.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,301 €1,161
$246 ₱15.4K
428.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,299
$1,184 ₱74.3K
117.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,941 €1,732
$436 ₱27.4K
345.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,470 €6,666
$3,633 ₱227.9K
105.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,195 €4,636
$1,055 ₱66.2K
392.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelona
Iloilo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,299 €2,052
$206 ₱12.9K
1016.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.28
7.33
-55.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: October 4, 2026

Last update for Iloilo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelona
$1.3K
Iloilo
$246 81.1% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Barcelona
$325
Iloilo
$188 42.2% $137
Eating Out
Barcelona
$272
Iloilo
$70 74.2% $202
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelona
$229
Iloilo
$102 55.6% $127
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelona
$158
Iloilo
$54 65.6% $104
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelona
$76
Iloilo
$19 74.7% $57
Getting Around
Barcelona
$48
Iloilo
$8.1 83.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,695 in Barcelona and $308 in Iloilo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1016% 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: $67.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Iloilo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $188 per month, with Iloilo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Barcelona
🇵🇭 Iloilo
🕒 Local time
15:06 3:06 PM
21:06 9:06 PM
6 h ahead of Barcelona
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,660,122
457,626
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.28 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelona Iloilo 11,620 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelona
  • Iloilo

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 Iloilo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Barcelona and in Iloilo?
Barcelona and Iloilo differ by about 247% in total monthly costs ($2,405 vs $693 including rent). Iloilo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Barcelona or Iloilo?
Average pay runs 1016% higher in Barcelona, 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 Iloilo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,695 in Barcelona versus $308 in Iloilo. 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 Iloilo?
Childcare runs $939 in Barcelona versus $31.77 in Iloilo. 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 73% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $693 in Iloilo versus $2,405 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Iloilo but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Iloilo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Barcelona and Iloilo?
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.
Is Barcelona or Iloilo safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Barcelona and Iloilo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Barcelona or Iloilo?
Expats usually find Iloilo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 247% 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?