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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $788 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,177 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,566 in San Fernando.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 197% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, San Fernando is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.65 ₱225

382.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$13.42 ₱828

411.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$2.73 ₱168

403.66%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.09 ₱67.1

153.21%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.45 ₱27.77

517.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.37 ₱22.58

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.35 ₱83.0

241.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.39 ₱86.0

230.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.82 ₱113

-29.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.23 ₱76.1

71.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.97 ₱59.9

103.09%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.26 ₱139

52.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$8.92 ₱550

111.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.86 ₱238

144.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$7.70 ₱475

146.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$2.62 ₱162

3.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.82 ₱112

30.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.30 ₱142

-9.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.21 ₱74.8

128.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.84 ₱113

7.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.15 ₱133

-16.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.67 ₱41.21

125.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.61 ₱37.35

47.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$3.31 ₱204

104.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$8.38 ₱517

-9.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.08 ₱66.4

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.50 ₱92.4

60.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.26 ₱16.03

1065.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$20.91 ₱1,290

35.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$0.73 ₱45.20

506.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.22 ₱13.56

831.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$1.08 ₱66.8

2615.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.15 ₱71.0

64.35%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$28.5K ₱1.8M

35.74%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$23.5K ₱1.4M

37.84%

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

$189 €161

$107 ₱6,603

76.15%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$17.45 ₱1,076

27.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$26.29 ₱1,621

40.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$30.92 ₱1,907

87.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$4.35 ₱269

382.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$4.41 ₱272

150.57%

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

$726 €622

$60.9 ₱3,753

1093.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$1,948 ₱120.2K

681.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$34.49 ₱2,127

156.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$15.97 ₱985

131.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$52.3 ₱3,223

96.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$47.28 ₱2,916

152.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$354 ₱21.8K

331.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$243 ₱15.0K

402.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$590 ₱36.4K

373.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$479 ₱29.6K

322.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,226 ₱137.3K

218.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$334 ₱20.6K

620.53%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $354 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 621% 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 $13.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $197 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 197% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $788 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 621% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $354 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $60.9 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $788 in San Fernando versus $2,341 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 197% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.