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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $916 in Maha Sarakham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,498 in Maha Sarakham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,079 in Maha Sarakham.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 156% more expensive than Maha Sarakham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Maha Sarakham is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.04 ฿99.5

479.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$27.12 ฿887

153.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$6.37 ฿208

115.86%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.01 ฿65.7

37.31%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.67 ฿21.89

314.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.27 ฿8.70

659.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$2.44 ฿79.9

88.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.59 ฿118

27.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.75 ฿57.2

-26.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.33 ฿43.53

58.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.27 ฿41.62

55.12%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.20 ฿71.8

56.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$18.81 ฿615

0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$3.01 ฿98.4

213.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.62 ฿347

79.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.23 ฿106

-15.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.25 ฿40.81

89.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.90 ฿62.2

9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.57 ฿51.4

75.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.51 ฿49.43

30.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.24 ฿40.70

44.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.03 ฿33.60

46.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.51 ฿16.75

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.40 ฿144

53.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$16.89 ฿552

-55.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.79 ฿58.6

-19.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.75 ฿90.0

-12.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.95 ฿31.20

218.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.09 ฿35.78

306.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.20 ฿39.26

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.20 ฿203

373.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.25 ฿40.76

51.20%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$28.1K ฿920.2K

37.67%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$27.1K ฿887.4K

19.25%

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

$189 €161

$75.9 ฿2,482

148.47%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$13.51 ฿442

64.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$18.71 ฿612

96.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$50.2 ฿1,640

15.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$12.23 ฿400

71.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$7.03 ฿230

57.18%

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

$726 €622

$297 ฿9,700

144.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$9,747 ฿318.7K

56.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$33.86 ฿1,107

160.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$34.94 ฿1,143

5.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$99.0 ฿3,236

3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$71.4 ฿2,336

66.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$427 ฿14.0K

257.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$287 ฿9,375

324.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$813 ฿26.6K

243.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$655 ฿21.4K

209.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,136 ฿69.8K

232.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,589 ฿52.0K

205.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Maha Sarakham: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $427 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 $320 vs $253 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 156% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $916 including rent). Maha Sarakham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,512 in Barcelona and $1,374 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $427 in Maha Sarakham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $297 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 $916 in Maha Sarakham versus $2,341 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 156% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.