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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $933 in Loei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,486 in Loei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,040 in Loei.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 153% more expensive than in Loei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Loei is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.11 ฿104

451.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$27.70 ฿924

145.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.23 ฿208

118.94%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.04 ฿67.9

36.27%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.67 ฿22.28

320.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.35 ฿11.60

460.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.40 ฿80.0

84.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.73 ฿125

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.73 ฿57.8

-26.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.35 ฿45.07

57.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.28 ฿42.64

55.47%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.13 ฿71.0

58.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$18.17 ฿606

4.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$2.97 ฿99.2

220.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.67 ฿356

75.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.18 ฿106

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.25 ฿41.73

88.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.89 ฿63.2

10.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.58 ฿52.8

72.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.53 ฿51.1

28.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.25 ฿41.56

44.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.99 ฿32.98

52.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.49 ฿16.23

81.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.48 ฿149

51.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$17.10 ฿571

-53.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.75 ฿58.4

-21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.71 ฿90.3

-11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.95 ฿31.74

206.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.09 ฿36.41

320.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.20 ฿40.15

70.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.11 ฿204

370.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.27 ฿42.40

43.31%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$28.2K ฿939.9K

39.55%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$27.2K ฿906.6K

19.49%

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

$187 €162

$75.1 ฿2,506

148.44%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$13.49 ฿450

65.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$18.89 ฿630

92.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$48.94 ฿1,633

17.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$12.40 ฿414

67.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$7.23 ฿241

48.96%

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

$725 €628

$297 ฿9,923

143.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$9,838 ฿328.2K

54.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$33.03 ฿1,102

166.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$35.05 ฿1,169

5.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$101 ฿3,362

2.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$69.8 ฿2,328

69.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$415 ฿13.9K

266.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$288 ฿9,615

325.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$821 ฿27.4K

232.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$662 ฿22.1K

199.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,846 ฿61.6K

304.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,422 ฿47.5K

268.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Loei: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $415 in Loei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Loei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $250 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 153% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $933 including rent). Loei 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 $1,399 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $415 in Loei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $297 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 $28.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $933 in Loei versus $2,359 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 153% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.