Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Fernando, La Union Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Fernando, La Union

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $677 in San Fernando, La Union.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,032 in San Fernando, La Union.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,387 in San Fernando, La Union.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 249% more expensive than San Fernando, La Union, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, San Fernando, La Union is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$3.62 ₱224

385.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$18.01 ₱1,111

280.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$3.24 ₱200

333.95%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.48 ₱153

12.10%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.78 ₱48.35

258.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.37 ₱22.54

456.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.30 ₱79.9

243.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.10 ₱130

119.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$2.94 ₱181

-57.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.27 ₱78.3

59.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.93 ₱57.4

106.45%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$2.00 ₱123

65.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$8.17 ₱504

125.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$4.24 ₱261

123.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$7.51 ₱463

155.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.96 ₱182

-10.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.55 ₱95.4

58.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.64 ₱163

-19.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.61 ₱99.3

77.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.30 ₱142

-11.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.61 ₱161

-29.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.06 ₱65.5

38.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.73 ₱44.80

15.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$2.92 ₱180

144.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$8.20 ₱506

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.21 ₱74.5

14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.99 ₱123

16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.28 ₱17.37

964.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$0.82 ₱50.6

460.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.24 ₱14.88

762.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$2.07 ₱128

1309.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.16 ₱71.2

58.62%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$26.2K ₱1.6M

49.14%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$20.7K ₱1.3M

57.78%

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

$188 €162

$111 ₱6,873

68.49%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$32.80 ₱2,023

-30.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$27.83 ₱1,716

31.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$13.42 ₱828

327.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$4.49 ₱277

361.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$5.82 ₱359

92.27%

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

$721 €620

$153 ₱9,463

369.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$5,736 ₱353.7K

162.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$44.93 ₱2,770

91.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$26.48 ₱1,633

39.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$35.74 ₱2,204

185.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$40.67 ₱2,508

184.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$131 ₱8,067

1072.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$123 ₱7,593

891.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$249 ₱15.4K

982.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$215 ₱13.3K

835.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$2,315 ₱142.8K

211.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$974 ₱60.1K

432.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Fernando, La Union: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $131 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in San Fernando, La Union for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $216 per month, with San Fernando, La Union 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 San Fernando, La Union: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and San Fernando, La Union differ by about 249% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $677 including rent). San Fernando, La Union is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,016 in San Fernando, La Union to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $131 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $153 in San Fernando, La Union. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Fernando, La Union – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $677 in San Fernando, La Union versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Fernando, La Union but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando, La Union 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 San Fernando, La Union 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 San Fernando, La Union gentler on the wallet – expenses run 249% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.