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: $1,653 in Barakaldo versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,404 in Barakaldo versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,155 in Barakaldo versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Barakaldo is roughly 94% more expensive than Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barakaldo is 23% above, Chiang Mai is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.03

$1.96 ฿64.0

795.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 €45.21

$18.81 ฿615

180.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €9.83

$7.92 ฿259

44.95%

Cappuccino

$2.18 €1.86

$1.91 ฿62.6

14.14%

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

$3.01 €2.58

$0.84 ฿27.41

258.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.35 ฿11.51

482.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.80

$2.21 ฿72.1

47.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.14

$3.80 ฿124

-3.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.64 ฿53.5

-23.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.62 ฿53.1

-8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.18 ฿38.62

15.25%

Eggs

$2.90 €2.48

$2.01 ฿65.8

44.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.35 €10.57

$15.89 ฿520

-22.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.83 €6.70

$3.01 ฿98.5

160.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 €11.10

$10.77 ฿352

20.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 €2.29

$2.61 ฿85.5

2.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.22 ฿39.88

67.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.70 ฿55.7

39.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.44 €2.09

$1.58 ฿51.5

54.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.32 ฿43.14

20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.17 ฿38.23

94.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.94

$0.67 ฿21.98

62.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.68

$0.56 ฿18.32

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.15 €5.26

$4.53 ฿148

35.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 €5.98

$18.20 ฿595

-61.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.83 ฿60.0

-36.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.74

$3.23 ฿106

-37.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 €1.40

$0.89 ฿29.00

83.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.52 €28.69

$19.38 ฿634

72.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 €4.57

$1.35 ฿44.20

294.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.35 ฿44.05

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.08 €27.46

$8.25 ฿270

288.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.27 ฿41.64

44.09%

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

$39.3K €33.6K

$21.2K ฿691.8K

85.69%

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

$31.6K €27.0K

$22.5K ฿735.3K

40.48%

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

$141 €121

$70.2 ฿2,294

100.74%

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

$19.24 €16.47

$13.77 ฿450

39.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.73 €23.73

$17.60 ฿575

57.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.09 €40.31

$41.57 ฿1,360

13.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.86 €12.72

$6.60 ฿216

125.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.55 €8.18

$5.78 ฿189

65.22%

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

$494 €423

$306 ฿10.0K

61.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 €7,739

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-39.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 €73.0

$54.4 ฿1,778

56.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.26 €27.62

$26.14 ฿855

23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 €70.4

$84.5 ฿2,764

-2.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €96.2

$69.4 ฿2,270

61.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 €741

$424 ฿13.9K

104.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €606

$238 ฿7,788

197.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 €1,141

$825 ฿27.0K

61.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 €855

$515 ฿16.8K

93.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,049 ฿67.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,879 €1,609

$635 ฿20.8K

195.85%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $866 in Barakaldo and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barakaldo pays 196% 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: $53.0 in Barakaldo vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $243 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 94% in total monthly costs ($1,653 vs $852 including rent). Chiang Mai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barakaldo pays 196% 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: $866 in Barakaldo versus $424 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 $53.0 in Barakaldo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,653 per month in Barakaldo versus $852 in Chiang Mai – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $852 in Chiang Mai versus $1,653 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 94% less than in Barakaldo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.