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: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $799 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,294 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,788 in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 211% more expensive than in Nakhon Ratchasima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Nakhon Ratchasima is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.84

$3.00 ฿98.6

514.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.7

$26.55 ฿873

161.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.08

$6.38 ฿210

120.22%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.67

$2.01 ฿66.0

54.73%

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

$2.96 €2.54

$0.55 ฿18.08

438.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.30 ฿9.81

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.43

$1.87 ฿61.6

113.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$2.76 ฿90.9

67.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.69 ฿55.7

-21.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.30 ฿42.87

62.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.28 ฿42.14

42.97%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.44

$1.54 ฿50.5

235.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.10

$15.68 ฿516

11.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.17

$2.71 ฿89.2

250.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.14

$10.30 ฿339

93.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.72

$3.29 ฿108

-3.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.28 ฿42.13

72.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.24

$1.97 ฿64.8

32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.02 ฿66.6

41.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.21 ฿39.85

79.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.06 ฿34.74

99.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.30 ฿42.82

24.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.36 ฿11.80

144.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.16

$2.83 ฿93.0

153.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.16

$18.13 ฿596

-54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.68 ฿55.3

-10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.03 ฿99.5

-9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.70

$0.48 ฿15.82

554.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.57

$19.78 ฿650

32.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.77

$1.03 ฿33.97

212.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.15 ฿37.97

31.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.31

$7.42 ฿244

375.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.36 ฿44.86

28.68%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

$46.0K ฿1.5M

-20.31%

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

$31.7K €27.2K

$27.3K ฿898.7K

15.87%

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

$187 €161

$89.9 ฿2,955

108.21%

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

$15.10 €12.98

$11.69 ฿384

29.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.33

$19.68 ฿647

91.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.71

$48.99 ฿1,611

13.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.39

$15.40 ฿506

8.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.07

$4.93 ฿162

137.53%

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

$1,011 €869

$180 ฿5,914

461.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$14.9K ฿489.1K

14.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.6

$52.3 ฿1,719

74.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.25

$30.02 ฿987

36.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.1

$79.9 ฿2,626

38.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$68.2 ฿2,242

84.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,465

$220 ฿7,242

673.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,117

$162 ฿5,326

702.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,225

$502 ฿16.5K

415.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,659

$425 ฿14.0K

353.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,648

$3,331 ฿109.5K

132.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,629

$1,761 ฿57.9K

205.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,041

$625 ฿20.6K

279.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.1

-38.04%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nakhon Ratchasima: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $220 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 280% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Nakhon Ratchasima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $241 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 211% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $799 including rent). Nakhon Ratchasima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 280% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $220 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $180 in Nakhon Ratchasima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $799 in Nakhon Ratchasima versus $2,482 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 211% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.