Cost of Living Comparison Between Barakaldo and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Barakaldo and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Barakaldo versus $869 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Barakaldo versus $1,362 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,076 in Barakaldo versus $1,855 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Barakaldo is roughly 90% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barakaldo is 23% above, Chiang Mai is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.29 €14.89

$1.98 ฿64.3

773.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 €44.15

$18.80 ฿612

172.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 €10.15

$7.75 ฿252

52.00%

Cappuccino

$2.24 €1.93

$1.92 ฿62.5

16.67%

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

$2.89 €2.49

$0.79 ฿25.79

265.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.36 ฿11.62

488.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 €2.75

$2.21 ฿72.1

44.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.16

$3.66 ฿119

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.65 ฿53.8

-26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.63 ฿53.2

-7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.19 ฿38.86

10.92%

Eggs

$2.83 €2.44

$2.00 ฿65.1

41.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 €10.72

$15.98 ฿520

-22.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €6.81

$3.03 ฿98.5

160.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 €11.03

$10.86 ฿354

17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.76 ฿90.0

-2.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.18 ฿38.42

71.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.05

$1.64 ฿53.5

44.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.52 ฿49.51

57.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.38 ฿45.10

20.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.19 ฿38.84

94.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.94

$0.70 ฿22.86

55.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.56 ฿18.13

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.19 €5.33

$4.58 ฿149

35.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.02

$16.56 ฿539

-50.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.83 ฿59.5

-33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.84

$3.20 ฿104

-33.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.88 ฿28.56

95.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 €29.20

$18.72 ฿610

81.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.56

$1.36 ฿44.16

288.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 €0.83

$1.34 ฿43.65

-28.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.32 €27.85

$7.84 ฿256

312.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.23 ฿39.92

41.46%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$21.6K ฿704.3K

81.02%

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

$32.3K €27.8K

$22.5K ฿734.3K

43.09%

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

$140 €120

$70.5 ฿2,298

97.82%

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

$19.68 €16.95

$13.68 ฿445

43.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.56 €24.61

$17.45 ฿568

63.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.23

$41.33 ฿1,346

15.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.15 €13.05

$6.96 ฿227

117.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.40 €8.10

$5.77 ฿188

62.91%

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

$498 €429

$307 ฿10.0K

62.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,146 €7,880

$14.6K ฿475.9K

-37.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 €73.2

$55.8 ฿1,817

52.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.34 €27.86

$26.21 ฿854

23.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.6 €70.3

$85.8 ฿2,793

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.3

$72.2 ฿2,353

54.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 €725

$430 ฿14.0K

95.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 €589

$239 ฿7,774

186.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 €1,123

$817 ฿26.6K

59.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 €878

$511 ฿16.6K

99.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,777 €3,254

$1,983 ฿64.6K

90.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,234 €1,925

$1,484 ฿48.3K

50.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,813 €1,562

$619 ฿20.2K

192.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

-32.40%

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

Last update for Barakaldo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $841 in Barakaldo and $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barakaldo pays 193% 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: $51.0 in Barakaldo vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $241 per month, with Chiang Mai 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

Barakaldo vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barakaldo and Chiang Mai differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($1,647 vs $869 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barakaldo pays 193% 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: $841 in Barakaldo versus $430 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiang Mai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $51.0 in Barakaldo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,647 per month in Barakaldo versus $869 in Chiang Mai – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $869 in Chiang Mai versus $1,647 in Barakaldo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiang Mai but tight or insufficient in Barakaldo. The gap between the two cities makes Chiang Mai 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, Barakaldo and Chiang Mai 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 Chiang Mai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Barakaldo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.