Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maha Sarakham Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Maha Sarakham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $931 in Maha Sarakham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,475 in Maha Sarakham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,020 in Maha Sarakham.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 151% more expensive than Maha Sarakham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.99 ฿97.4

471.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$27.09 ฿882

155.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.21 ฿202

121.90%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.10 ฿68.4

31.43%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.71 ฿23.25

292.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.29 ฿9.57

586.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$2.44 ฿79.4

78.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.73 ฿121

27.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.70 ฿55.3

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.35 ฿43.91

51.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.32 ฿42.87

50.76%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.16 ฿70.2

56.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$18.21 ฿593

3.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$3.10 ฿101

201.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$10.71 ฿349

78.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.23 ฿105

-16.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.25 ฿40.80

87.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.89 ฿61.5

12.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.59 ฿51.7

79.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.52 ฿49.63

29.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.25 ฿40.69

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.98 ฿32.00

47.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.48 ฿15.77

79.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.43 ฿144

53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$13.18 ฿429

-40.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.75 ฿57.0

-20.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.75 ฿89.5

-13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.96 ฿31.21

204.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.05 ฿34.16

324.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.19 ฿38.81

72.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.32 ฿206

367.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.30 ฿42.18

40.00%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$28.2K ฿918.7K

37.65%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$27.1K ฿882.5K

22.16%

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

$189 €163

$76.1 ฿2,478

148.73%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$13.83 ฿450

64.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$18.73 ฿610

100.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$49.23 ฿1,603

17.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$12.22 ฿398

69.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.88 ฿224

57.27%

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

$728 €628

$300 ฿9,757

143.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$9,693 ฿315.7K

52.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$33.24 ฿1,083

166.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$34.18 ฿1,113

7.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$98.9 ฿3,220

3.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$70.4 ฿2,293

64.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$416 ฿13.6K

276.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$280 ฿9,131

334.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$805 ฿26.2K

247.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$666 ฿21.7K

196.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$1,763 ฿57.4K

339.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$1,266 ฿41.2K

308.95%

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 Maha Sarakham: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $416 in Maha Sarakham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Maha Sarakham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $243 per month, with Maha Sarakham 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 Maha Sarakham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Maha Sarakham differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $931 including rent). Maha Sarakham 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 $1,397 in Maha Sarakham 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 $416 in Maha Sarakham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $300 in Maha Sarakham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Maha Sarakham – 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 $931 in Maha Sarakham versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maha Sarakham but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Maha Sarakham 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 Maha Sarakham 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 Maha Sarakham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.