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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $970 in Koh Chang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,577 in Koh Chang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,185 in Koh Chang.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 155% more expensive than in Koh Chang, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Koh Chang is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.56 ฿119

426.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$25.87 ฿864

168.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$7.08 ฿236

94.49%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.28 ฿76.1

35.96%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.66 ฿22.16

328.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.39 ฿13.04

382.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.89 ฿63.2

110.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.07 ฿102

47.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.64 ฿54.6

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.30 ฿43.44

66.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.45 ฿48.46

21.38%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.93 ฿64.4

165.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$17.45 ฿583

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$3.12 ฿104

209.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.11 ฿338

99.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.58 ฿86.2

25.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.51 ฿50.4

47.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.02 ฿67.5

28.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.96 ฿65.5

40.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.38 ฿46.11

60.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.25 ฿41.77

69.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.02 ฿34.01

51.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.51 ฿17.08

86.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.96 ฿132

85.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$16.56 ฿553

-51.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.60 ฿53.5

-3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.55 ฿85.2

9.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.85 ฿61.9

68.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.45 ฿81.8

33.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.82 ฿27.52

80.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$3.16 ฿106

984.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.15 ฿38.53

50.43%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$21.8K ฿726.8K

67.04%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$21.2K ฿708.4K

43.92%

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

$187 €163

$97.1 ฿3,242

92.63%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$10.41 ฿347

45.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$16.70 ฿557

125.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$45.24 ฿1,510

23.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$9.55 ฿319

78.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.36 ฿212

79.40%

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

$997 €869

$513 ฿17.1K

94.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$10.4K ฿347.0K

59.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$60.3 ฿2,014

53.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$27.66 ฿923

49.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$93.2 ฿3,111

19.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$83.5 ฿2,788

49.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$474 ฿15.8K

260.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$323 ฿10.8K

298.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,368 ฿45.7K

87.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$803 ฿26.8K

141.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,283 ฿76.2K

234.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,679 ฿56.1K

207.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.57

-43.27%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Koh Chang: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $474 in Koh Chang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Koh Chang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $244 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 155% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $970 including rent). Koh Chang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,455 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $474 in Koh Chang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $513 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 $26.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $970 in Koh Chang versus $2,476 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 155% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.