Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ratchaburi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ratchaburi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $832 in Ratchaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,391 in Ratchaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $1,949 in Ratchaburi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 184% more expensive than in Ratchaburi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ratchaburi is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.73 ฿124

359.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$31.01 ฿1,035

119.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$6.05 ฿202

125.45%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.06 ฿35.48

162.26%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.30 ฿9.93

840.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.32 ฿10.72

512.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$2.36 ฿78.8

87.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.14 ฿71.5

115.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.74 ฿58.0

-27.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.15 ฿38.49

85.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.60 ฿20.02

231.67%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.29 ฿76.5

47.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$15.46 ฿516

22.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$2.39 ฿79.8

298.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$6.94 ฿231

169.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.15 ฿105

-15.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.64 ฿21.49

267.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.20 ฿40.02

74.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.45 ฿14.97

506.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.96 ฿32.12

104.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.84 ฿28.03

115.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.60 ฿20.08

151.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.52 ฿17.51

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$3.40 ฿113

99.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$17.75 ฿592

-55.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.75 ฿58.3

-21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.19 ฿73.2

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.89 ฿29.56

226.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$31.31 ฿1,044

-8.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.06 ฿35.28

332.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.46 ฿15.33

343.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$3.30 ฿110

770.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.97 ฿32.43

87.63%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$28.5K ฿950.6K

37.98%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$21.3K ฿710.4K

52.50%

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

$187 €162

$62.3 ฿2,077

199.76%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$13.80 ฿461

61.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$10.92 ฿364

233.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$48.40 ฿1,615

18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$12.03 ฿401

72.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$4.09 ฿136

163.33%

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

$725 €628

$296 ฿9,889

144.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$9,407 ฿313.8K

61.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$30.00 ฿1,001

192.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$19.60 ฿654

87.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$100 ฿3,340

3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$43.36 ฿1,446

173.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$421 ฿14.0K

261.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$280 ฿9,349

337.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$797 ฿26.6K

242.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$662 ฿22.1K

199.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,865 ฿62.2K

300.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,390 ฿46.4K

277.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-15.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ratchaburi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $421 in Ratchaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Ratchaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $208 per month, with Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ratchaburi differ by about 184% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $832 including rent). Ratchaburi 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 $1,248 in Ratchaburi 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 $421 in Ratchaburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $296 in Ratchaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $832 in Ratchaburi versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ratchaburi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 184% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.