Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Samut Prakan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Samut Prakan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $793 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,421 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,048 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 197% more expensive than in Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Samut Prakan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$3.05 ฿102

462.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$15.47 ฿516

339.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$7.71 ฿257

76.91%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.36 ฿45.21

104.41%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.62 ฿20.77

354.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.30 ฿9.93

553.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.89 ฿63.1

134.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$3.77 ฿126

22.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.41 ฿47.12

-9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.99 ฿32.97

115.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.12 ฿37.22

77.68%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.82 ฿60.8

85.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$13.47 ฿449

40.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$2.85 ฿95.1

234.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$10.88 ฿363

72.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$1.88 ฿62.7

40.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.75 ฿25.15

213.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.80 ฿60.1

16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.35 ฿45.08

102.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.61 ฿53.6

21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.09 ฿36.47

66.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.80 ฿26.57

88.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.42 ฿14.13

111.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.61 ฿154

47.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$11.69 ฿390

-32.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.51 ฿50.3

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.28 ฿76.1

5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.56 ฿18.59

419.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$31.19 ฿1,041

-8.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$1.09 ฿36.51

320.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.70 ฿23.47

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$5.25 ฿175

447.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.30 ฿43.29

40.00%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$12.2K ฿408.1K

221.38%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$21.4K ฿714.3K

51.67%

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

$187 €162

$74.7 ฿2,493

149.74%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$11.19 ฿373

99.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$17.60 ฿587

106.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$45.84 ฿1,529

25.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$12.10 ฿404

71.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$6.19 ฿207

73.99%

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

$725 €628

$385 ฿12.8K

88.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,888 ฿229.8K

119.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$19.29 ฿643

355.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$33.86 ฿1,129

8.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$60.9 ฿2,033

69.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$58.1 ฿1,939

103.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$491 ฿16.4K

210.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$250 ฿8,324

391.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$814 ฿27.1K

235.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$858 ฿28.6K

131.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$1,965 ฿65.5K

280.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$1,591 ฿53.1K

229.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$640 ฿21.4K

273.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

13.00%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $491 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 274% 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 $15.00 in Samut Prakan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $202 per month, with Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Samut Prakan differ by about 197% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $793 including rent). Samut Prakan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 274% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $491 in Samut Prakan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $385 in Samut Prakan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $793 in Samut Prakan versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samut Prakan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan 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 Samut Prakan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 197% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.