Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Khon Kaen Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Khon Kaen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $780 in Khon Kaen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,291 in Khon Kaen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $1,801 in Khon Kaen.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 200% more expensive than Khon Kaen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Khon Kaen is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$1.56 ฿51.0

1028.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$31.24 ฿1,022

119.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.29 ฿206

118.60%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.62 ฿53.0

70.37%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.61 ฿20.04

355.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.29 ฿9.43

606.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.86 ฿60.8

147.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$5.56 ฿182

-17.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.66 ฿54.3

-22.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.26 ฿41.35

67.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.97 ฿31.59

103.09%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.52 ฿82.4

36.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$18.24 ฿596

3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.02 ฿98.7

212.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.86 ฿355

75.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.17 ฿104

-14.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.89 ฿29.09

166.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.51 ฿49.23

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.25 ฿40.82

120.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.90 ฿62.0

3.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.19 ฿39.04

50.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.95 ฿31.05

58.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.48 ฿15.77

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.36 ฿142

55.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$19.23 ฿629

-60.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.81 ฿59.3

-20.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.43 ฿79.5

-0.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.90 ฿29.45

236.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.07 ฿34.86

314.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.20 ฿39.15

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.22 ฿203

371.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.31 ฿42.71

44.27%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$46.1K ฿1.5M

-16.01%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$28.1K ฿919.6K

15.07%

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

$189 €161

$64.4 ฿2,107

192.71%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$22.96 ฿751

-3.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$23.54 ฿770

56.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$62.3 ฿2,036

-6.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$12.04 ฿394

74.34%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$6.07 ฿198

82.04%

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

$726 €622

$297 ฿9,726

144.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$9,261 ฿302.8K

64.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$30.59 ฿1,000

188.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$41.13 ฿1,345

-10.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$78.1 ฿2,554

31.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$65.6 ฿2,144

81.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$256 ฿8,386

495.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$169 ฿5,511

622.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$756 ฿24.7K

269.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$431 ฿14.1K

370.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$1,869 ฿61.1K

279.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,683 ฿55.0K

188.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.45

-37.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Khon Kaen: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $256 in Khon Kaen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Khon Kaen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $249 per month, with Khon Kaen 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 Khon Kaen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Khon Kaen differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $780 including rent). Khon Kaen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,170 in Khon Kaen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $256 in Khon Kaen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $297 in Khon Kaen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Khon Kaen – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $780 in Khon Kaen versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Khon Kaen but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Khon Kaen 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 Khon Kaen 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 Khon Kaen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.