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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $777 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,188 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,600 in San Fernando.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 204% more expensive than in San Fernando, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, San Fernando is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.49 ₱214

391.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$13.46 ₱824

405.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$2.72 ₱166

401.47%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.05 ₱64.3

164.76%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.42 ₱25.89

571.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.36 ₱22.12

444.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.31 ₱80.3

238.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.45 ₱88.7

217.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.90 ₱116

-33.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.20 ₱73.6

77.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.90 ₱55.1

121.11%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.28 ₱140

47.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$9.11 ₱558

108.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.87 ₱237

146.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.98 ₱489

134.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.76 ₱169

-3.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.78 ₱109

32.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.35 ₱144

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.16 ₱70.8

135.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.90 ₱116

3.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.09 ₱128

-13.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.67 ₱41.28

125.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.64 ₱39.30

39.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.30 ₱202

105.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$8.76 ₱537

-9.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.08 ₱66.0

26.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.50 ₱91.8

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.26 ₱15.91

1019.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$21.66 ₱1,326

32.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$0.72 ₱44.22

536.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.22 ₱13.41

827.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$1.04 ₱63.6

2661.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.16 ₱71.0

56.90%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$28.0K ₱1.7M

40.49%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$23.6K ₱1.4M

37.69%

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

$187 €162

$106 ₱6,478

76.35%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$17.60 ₱1,077

26.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$26.09 ₱1,597

39.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$30.71 ₱1,880

87.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$4.49 ₱275

361.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.52 ₱277

138.27%

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

$725 €628

$61.2 ₱3,748

1083.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,951 ₱119.4K

676.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$34.76 ₱2,128

152.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$16.18 ₱991

127.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$53.5 ₱3,274

93.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$46.40 ₱2,840

155.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$357 ₱21.9K

326.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$243 ₱14.9K

405.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$596 ₱36.5K

357.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$478 ₱29.3K

314.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,206 ₱135.0K

238.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,047 ₱64.1K

400.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$345 ₱21.1K

593.73%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $357 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 594% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $13.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $200 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 204% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $777 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 594% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $357 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $61.2 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $777 in San Fernando versus $2,359 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 204% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.