Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Koh Chang Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Koh Chang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $987 in Koh Chang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,778 in Koh Chang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,569 in Koh Chang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 137% more expensive than Koh Chang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Koh Chang is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.65 ฿119

367.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$36.67 ฿1,194

88.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.73 ฿219

104.75%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.37 ฿77.3

16.46%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.56 ฿18.09

398.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.29 ฿9.43

586.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.96 ฿63.8

122.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.94 ฿95.7

61.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$2.03 ฿66.1

-36.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.65 ฿53.7

24.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.94 ฿63.3

2.58%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.09 ฿68.1

62.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$17.57 ฿572

7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.37 ฿110

177.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$12.05 ฿393

58.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.90 ฿94.4

-6.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.50 ฿48.92

56.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.14 ฿69.8

-0.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.89 ฿61.6

50.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.40 ฿45.57

40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.34 ฿43.67

34.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.86 ฿27.98

68.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.43 ฿14.01

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.00 ฿130

69.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$17.30 ฿564

-54.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.59 ฿51.8

-12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.44 ฿79.6

-2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$1.08 ฿35.11

170.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.53 ฿82.4

76.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.85 ฿27.72

141.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$11.25 ฿366

162.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.08 ฿35.23

68.52%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$22.0K ฿716.1K

76.59%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.6K ฿866.9K

24.35%

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

$189 €163

$116 ฿3,781

63.00%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$13.16 ฿429

73.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$17.69 ฿576

112.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$52.4 ฿1,707

10.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$14.35 ฿467

44.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$7.72 ฿251

40.16%

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

$728 €628

$632 ฿20.6K

15.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$14.3K ฿466.1K

3.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$54.9 ฿1,788

61.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$33.24 ฿1,083

10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$107 ฿3,488

-4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$79.0 ฿2,571

47.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$393 ฿12.8K

299.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$288 ฿9,364

323.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,357 ฿44.2K

106.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$986 ฿32.1K

100.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$2,409 ฿78.5K

221.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,705 ฿55.5K

203.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.33

-36.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Koh Chang: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $393 in Koh Chang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $37.00 in Koh Chang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $263 per month, with Koh Chang 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 Koh Chang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Koh Chang differ by about 137% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $987 including rent). Koh Chang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $1,480 in Koh Chang 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $393 in Koh Chang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $632 in Koh Chang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Chang – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $987 in Koh Chang versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koh Chang but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Chang 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 Koh Chang 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 Koh Chang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.