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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Barcelona versus $1,948 in Koh Phi Phi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,473 in Barcelona versus $3,386 in Koh Phi Phi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,512 in Barcelona versus $4,823 in Koh Phi Phi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 25% more expensive than in Koh Phi Phi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 78% above, Koh Phi Phi 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.80 €16.09

$6.86 ฿225

174.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.4

$52.6 ฿1,725

32.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.05

$13.38 ฿439

5.23%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.66

$4.52 ฿148

-30.97%

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

$2.91 €2.49

$1.16 ฿38.21

150.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.60

$0.72 ฿23.58

159.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.42

$3.65 ฿120

9.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 €3.97

$5.59 ฿184

-16.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$2.26 ฿74.1

-47.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.82

$1.77 ฿58.1

20.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.89 ฿62.0

-2.65%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.39

$2.56 ฿83.8

100.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.39 €14.02

$24.03 ฿788

-31.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 €8.31

$4.25 ฿139

128.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 €16.81

$13.25 ฿435

48.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 €2.68

$3.59 ฿118

-12.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.05 ฿67.1

6.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 €2.11

$2.67 ฿87.7

-7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.37

$2.59 ฿85.1

6.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.86 ฿61.1

13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 €1.90

$1.60 ฿52.4

39.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.27

$1.37 ฿44.87

8.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.68 ฿22.35

33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.26 €6.21

$5.39 ฿177

34.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$22.83 ฿749

-63.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.24 ฿73.6

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.30

$3.54 ฿116

-24.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 €2.63

$3.10 ฿102

-0.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.93 €22.18

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 €2.86

$4.33 ฿142

-22.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.52 ฿49.99

23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.98 €29.92

$5.60 ฿184

524.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.08 ฿68.1

-16.35%

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

$36.5K €31.2K

$38.7K ฿1.3M

-5.53%

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

$31.5K €27.0K

$38.2K ฿1.3M

-17.49%

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

$183 €156

$113 ฿3,699

62.20%

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

$15.70 €13.43

$12.16 ฿399

29.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.73 €31.42

$18.93 ฿621

94.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 €45.76

$64.9 ฿2,129

-17.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.13 €14.65

$13.20 ฿433

29.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 €9.85

$9.35 ฿307

23.10%

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

$952 €815

$673 ฿22.1K

41.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$14.2K ฿466.7K

13.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 €70.5

$67.9 ฿2,227

21.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 €34.62

$31.15 ฿1,022

29.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.2

$101 ฿3,322

6.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €107

$92.9 ฿3,049

35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 €1,426

$1,625 ฿53.3K

2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 €1,101

$1,066 ฿35.0K

20.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,663 €2,278

$4,588 ฿150.5K

-41.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 €1,628

$2,682 ฿88.0K

-29.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,513 €6,427

$7,847 ฿257.5K

-4.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,178 €4,429

$5,779 ฿189.6K

-10.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,451 €2,096

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

5.57

-43.99%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 17, 2026

Last update for Koh Phi Phi: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,668 in Barcelona and $1,625 in Koh Phi Phi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $53.0 in Koh Phi Phi. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $331, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Phi Phi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Koh Phi Phi differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,434 vs $1,948 including rent). Koh Phi Phi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,651 in Barcelona and $2,922 in Koh Phi Phi 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: $1,668 in Barcelona versus $1,625 in Koh Phi Phi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $952 in Barcelona versus $673 in Koh Phi Phi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Koh Phi Phi – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,948 in Koh Phi Phi versus $2,434 in Barcelona, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Koh Phi Phi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Koh Phi Phi 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 Phi Phi 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 Phi Phi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.