Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Fernando Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and San Fernando

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $773 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,180 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $1,587 in San Fernando.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 210% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, San Fernando is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.22

$3.58 ₱216

393.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €60.3

$13.08 ₱788

435.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.76

$2.59 ₱156

427.41%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.36

$1.03 ₱62.3

166.02%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.46 ₱27.43

506.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$0.36 ₱21.94

444.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.37 ₱82.4

218.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$1.40 ₱84.6

227.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.91 ₱115

-32.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.24 ₱74.9

65.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.97 ₱58.4

104.12%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.29 ₱138

48.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.05

$9.44 ₱569

97.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.23

$3.90 ₱235

145.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.22

$7.94 ₱478

137.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.71 ₱163

1.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.80 ₱108

37.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.80

$2.34 ₱141

-10.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.16 ₱69.6

143.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.83 ₱110

10.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.17 ₱131

-14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.30

$0.67 ₱40.54

125.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.59 ₱35.49

52.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.08

$3.22 ₱194

119.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.87

$8.88 ₱535

-10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.04 ₱62.5

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.49 ₱89.6

53.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$0.28 ₱16.91

928.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.45

$20.85 ₱1,256

36.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.77

$0.69 ₱41.60

534.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.84

$0.24 ₱14.48

791.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.10

$1.05 ₱63.2

2676.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.12 ₱67.2

66.07%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$28.2K ₱1.7M

38.24%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$23.9K ₱1.4M

36.97%

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

$189 €163

$105 ₱6,346

79.46%

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

$22.71 €19.56

$17.45 ₱1,051

30.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.43

$26.20 ₱1,578

39.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €49.59

$31.38 ₱1,890

83.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.40

$4.42 ₱266

383.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.31

$4.38 ₱264

146.80%

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

$726 €625

$61.1 ₱3,681

1088.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.0K

$1,952 ₱117.6K

673.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$34.53 ₱2,080

153.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €31.77

$15.66 ₱943

135.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.2

$54.1 ₱3,261

91.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$46.61 ₱2,807

149.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,355

$357 ₱21.5K

340.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$244 ₱14.7K

399.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,335

$597 ₱35.9K

354.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,693

$494 ₱29.8K

297.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,726

$2,203 ₱132.7K

254.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,535

$1,080 ₱65.1K

387.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,045

$353 ₱21.2K

573.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.5

-38.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 14, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $357 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 573% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $13.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $201 per month, with San Fernando 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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and San Fernando differ by about 210% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $773 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 573% more on average, 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $357 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $61.1 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $773 in San Fernando versus $2,399 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando 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 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 gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.