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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $737 in San Fernando, La Union.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,097 in San Fernando, La Union.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,458 in San Fernando, La Union.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 237% more expensive than in San Fernando, La Union, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, San Fernando, La Union is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.83

$3.79 ₱237

386.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.6

$17.12 ₱1,069

305.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.07

$2.77 ₱173

407.22%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$2.17 ₱136

43.32%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$0.61 ₱38.37

385.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.35 ₱21.63

457.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$1.13 ₱70.4

253.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$1.93 ₱120

139.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.62 ₱101

-18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.13 ₱70.4

86.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.93 ₱58.1

96.77%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$1.88 ₱117

174.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.09

$5.32 ₱332

230.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$4.30 ₱268

120.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.13

$7.27 ₱454

174.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$2.31 ₱144

37.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.56 ₱97.3

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$2.34 ₱146

11.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.18 ₱73.7

141.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.13 ₱133

1.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.99 ₱124

6.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$0.77 ₱47.96

110.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.56 ₱34.71

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$2.90 ₱181

147.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$8.13 ₱508

2.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.99 ₱62.0

51.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.36

$1.97 ₱123

39.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.25 ₱15.44

1156.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.56

$11.07 ₱691

137.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$0.82 ₱51.0

292.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.25 ₱15.65

504.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.30

$1.89 ₱118

1765.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.02 ₱63.9

71.57%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$21.6K ₱1.3M

69.90%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

60.54%

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

$187 €161

$124 ₱7,713

51.49%

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

$15.10 €12.97

$15.07 ₱941

0.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.31

$24.51 ₱1,531

53.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.68

$31.96 ₱1,996

73.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.38

$4.92 ₱307

240.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.06

$5.18 ₱323

126.06%

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

$1,011 €869

$132 ₱8,267

663.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$7,963 ₱497.2K

114.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.5

$31.98 ₱1,997

185.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.23

$19.28 ₱1,204

112.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.0

$71.0 ₱4,435

55.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$55.7 ₱3,481

126.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,464

$268 ₱16.7K

536.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$170 ₱10.6K

662.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,224

$491 ₱30.6K

427.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,658

$346 ₱21.6K

457.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,644

$2,558 ₱159.7K

202.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,626

$1,038 ₱64.8K

418.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,040

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 San Fernando, La Union: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $268 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $17.00 in San Fernando, La Union for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $179 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 237% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $737 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 $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,105 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $268 in San Fernando, La Union. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $132 in San Fernando, La Union. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $737 in San Fernando, La Union versus $2,482 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 237% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.