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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $992 in Koh Chang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,762 in Koh Chang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,532 in Koh Chang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 138% more expensive than in Koh Chang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Koh Chang is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.80 ฿127

351.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$37.57 ฿1,253

81.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.83 ฿228

99.71%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.35 ฿78.5

18.30%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.58 ฿19.40

386.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.31 ฿10.49

532.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.94 ฿64.6

128.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.03 ฿101

52.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.95 ฿65.0

-34.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.65 ฿54.9

29.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.94 ฿64.6

2.58%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.02 ฿67.3

66.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$17.84 ฿595

6.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.38 ฿113

181.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$11.82 ฿394

58.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.03 ฿101

-12.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.46 ฿48.66

60.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.11 ฿70.3

-0.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.80 ฿60.0

51.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.44 ฿48.20

36.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.29 ฿43.07

40.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.94 ฿31.31

60.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.47 ฿15.51

89.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.99 ฿133

69.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$16.37 ฿546

-51.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.60 ฿53.5

-14.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.42 ฿80.9

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.13 ฿37.86

157.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.40 ฿80.2

90.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.80 ฿26.63

155.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$11.07 ฿369

159.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.03 ฿34.32

76.70%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$22.6K ฿754.6K

73.82%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$26.5K ฿884.3K

22.52%

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

$187 €162

$118 ฿3,926

58.58%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$12.82 ฿428

73.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$17.42 ฿581

108.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$51.1 ฿1,704

12.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$14.15 ฿472

46.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.38 ฿246

45.93%

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

$725 €628

$631 ฿21.1K

14.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$14.2K ฿473.0K

6.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$55.8 ฿1,862

57.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$33.54 ฿1,119

9.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$109 ฿3,636

-5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$82.0 ฿2,735

44.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$393 ฿13.1K

288.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$286 ฿9,531

329.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,312 ฿43.8K

107.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$949 ฿31.7K

109.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$2,313 ฿77.2K

222.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,630 ฿54.4K

221.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Koh Chang: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $393 in Koh Chang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $38.00 in Koh Chang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $261 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 138% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $992 including rent). Koh Chang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $1,487 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $393 in Koh Chang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $631 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 $38.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $992 in Koh Chang versus $2,359 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 138% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.