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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $796 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,424 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,051 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 194% more expensive than Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Samut Prakan is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$3.04 ฿99.3

479.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$15.14 ฿495

353.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$7.78 ฿254

76.74%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.35 ฿44.07

104.44%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.63 ฿20.52

341.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.32 ฿10.48

540.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.91 ฿62.3

141.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$3.67 ฿120

25.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.42 ฿46.44

-9.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$0.99 ฿32.36

113.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.08 ฿35.46

82.41%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$1.90 ฿62.2

81.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$13.28 ฿434

41.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$2.79 ฿91.3

238.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$10.89 ฿356

74.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$1.86 ฿61.0

46.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$0.81 ฿26.34

192.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.74 ฿56.9

19.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.40 ฿45.85

97.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.70 ฿55.5

15.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.11 ฿36.30

61.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.74 ฿24.23

104.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.46 ฿14.89

95.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.64 ฿152

45.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$12.21 ฿399

-38.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.54 ฿50.5

-6.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.21 ฿72.2

9.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.56 ฿18.27

441.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$31.32 ฿1,024

-9.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$1.05 ฿34.39

321.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.74 ฿24.23

177.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$5.42 ฿177

441.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.30 ฿42.41

45.38%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$12.3K ฿401.2K

215.77%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$21.0K ฿687.1K

54.02%

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

$189 €161

$72.6 ฿2,374

159.77%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$11.13 ฿364

99.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$17.39 ฿569

111.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$45.84 ฿1,499

26.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$12.02 ฿393

74.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$6.11 ฿200

80.85%

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

$726 €622

$383 ฿12.5K

89.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$7,004 ฿229.0K

117.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$19.76 ฿646

346.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$33.84 ฿1,107

9.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$61.1 ฿1,997

67.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$56.9 ฿1,861

109.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$489 ฿16.0K

211.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$243 ฿7,944

401.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$822 ฿26.9K

239.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$854 ฿27.9K

137.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$2,318 ฿75.8K

206.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,527 ฿49.9K

217.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$679 ฿22.2K

254.22%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $489 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 254% 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 $15.00 in Samut Prakan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $203 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 194% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $796 including rent). Samut Prakan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 254% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $489 in Samut Prakan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $383 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 $796 in Samut Prakan versus $2,341 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 194% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.