Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Loei Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Loei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $921 in Loei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,486 in Loei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,051 in Loei.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 154% more expensive than Loei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Loei is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$3.00 ฿97.8

469.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$26.98 ฿879

156.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.32 ฿206

118.04%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.10 ฿68.5

31.43%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.67 ฿21.74

316.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.35 ฿11.35

468.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.47 ฿80.5

76.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.76 ฿123

26.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.67 ฿54.5

-22.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.36 ฿44.18

50.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.27 ฿41.44

56.69%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.17 ฿70.6

56.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$18.50 ฿603

1.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$2.98 ฿97.1

214.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.95 ฿357

74.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.27 ฿107

-17.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.25 ฿40.71

87.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.88 ฿61.2

12.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.52 ฿49.35

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.49 ฿48.39

32.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.20 ฿38.93

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.98 ฿31.88

47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.48 ฿15.69

79.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.43 ฿144

53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$14.47 ฿471

-45.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.73 ฿56.5

-19.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.78 ฿90.5

-14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.90 ฿29.39

224.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.09 ฿35.57

309.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.20 ฿39.16

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.01 ฿196

391.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.24 ฿40.27

46.77%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.0K ฿913.2K

38.49%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$27.9K ฿908.7K

18.64%

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

$189 €163

$74.8 ฿2,437

152.85%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$13.89 ฿452

64.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$18.89 ฿615

98.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$48.84 ฿1,591

18.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$12.29 ฿400

68.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.98 ฿227

55.01%

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

$728 €628

$294 ฿9,565

148.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$9,699 ฿315.9K

52.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$33.54 ฿1,092

164.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$34.08 ฿1,110

8.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$101 ฿3,277

1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$70.2 ฿2,286

65.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$429 ฿14.0K

266.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$289 ฿9,426

320.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$798 ฿26.0K

250.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$662 ฿21.6K

198.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,861 ฿60.6K

316.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,358 ฿44.2K

281.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Loei: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $429 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Loei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $246 per month, with Loei 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 Loei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Loei differ by about 154% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $921 including rent). Loei 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 $1,382 in Loei 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 $429 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $294 in Loei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Loei – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $921 in Loei versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Loei but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Loei 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 Loei 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 Loei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.