Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nakhon Ratchasima Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Nakhon Ratchasima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $778 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,277 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,776 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 204% more expensive than Nakhon Ratchasima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Nakhon Ratchasima is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$2.91 ฿95.2

504.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$27.63 ฿902

147.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$6.26 ฿204

124.60%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.99 ฿65.1

39.70%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.60 ฿19.44

366.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.37 ฿12.24

456.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.84 ฿60.0

142.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.51 ฿81.8

83.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.72 ฿56.3

-27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.30 ฿42.43

56.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.26 ฿41.21

52.38%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.59 ฿51.8

108.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$15.41 ฿503

19.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$3.42 ฿112

177.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$11.41 ฿373

67.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.32 ฿108

-20.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.32 ฿43.25

85.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.98 ฿64.6

7.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.44 ฿47.07

97.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.51 ฿49.21

35.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.22 ฿39.76

51.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.37 ฿44.75

7.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.36 ฿11.71

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.02 ฿98.5

136.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$17.08 ฿558

-53.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.69 ฿55.2

-18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.36 ฿77.1

-2.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.48 ฿15.77

520.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$20.09 ฿656

45.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$1.07 ฿34.92

329.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.34 ฿43.61

54.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$7.63 ฿249

282.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.25 ฿40.67

47.20%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$81.4K ฿2.7M

-52.05%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$27.3K ฿891.8K

19.75%

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

$188 €162

$78.6 ฿2,567

138.93%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$13.86 ฿453

65.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$18.13 ฿592

102.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$49.04 ฿1,602

16.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.27 ฿499

35.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$4.96 ฿162

125.60%

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

$721 €620

$188 ฿6,143

283.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$9,267 ฿302.7K

62.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$30.52 ฿997

182.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$19.33 ฿631

91.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$78.8 ฿2,575

29.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$43.58 ฿1,423

165.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$216 ฿7,060

609.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$160 ฿5,231

661.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$503 ฿16.4K

435.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$428 ฿14.0K

370.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

$3,367 ฿110.0K

114.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

$1,766 ฿57.7K

193.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$617 ฿20.2K

282.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.1

-33.53%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $216 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 282% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $28.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $243 per month, with Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Nakhon Ratchasima differ by about 204% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $778 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 282% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $216 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $188 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $778 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nakhon Ratchasima but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima 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 Nakhon Ratchasima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.