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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $896 in Samut Prakan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,508 in Samut Prakan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,121 in Samut Prakan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 176% more expensive than in Samut Prakan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Samut Prakan is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.17 ฿106

491.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$14.94 ฿499

364.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$7.64 ฿255

80.24%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.42 ฿47.32

118.31%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.54 ฿17.98

424.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.25 ฿8.34

652.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.08 ฿69.3

91.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.97 ฿99.1

52.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.44 ฿48.21

-11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.01 ฿33.58

113.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.10 ฿36.58

60.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.79 ฿59.6

186.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$12.65 ฿422

41.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$2.45 ฿81.9

293.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.39 ฿347

93.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$1.78 ฿59.5

82.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.03 ฿34.51

116.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.73 ฿57.8

50.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.36 ฿45.33

102.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.78 ฿59.3

24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.07 ฿35.81

98.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.78 ฿26.00

98.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.43 ฿14.22

120.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.61 ฿154

59.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$12.26 ฿409

-34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.48 ฿49.40

4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.18 ฿72.7

27.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.51 ฿16.91

509.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$30.36 ฿1,013

-14.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$1.04 ฿34.75

214.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.20 ฿39.98

23.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$3.87 ฿129

785.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.12 ฿37.38

54.46%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$12.2K ฿405.8K

199.16%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$24.1K ฿805.8K

26.53%

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

$187 €163

$85.9 ฿2,866

117.89%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$9.45 ฿315

60.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$16.89 ฿564

123.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$45.72 ฿1,526

22.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$14.51 ฿484

17.71%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$6.18 ฿206

84.63%

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

$997 €869

$153 ฿5,108

551.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,976 ฿232.9K

136.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$22.39 ฿747

313.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$34.08 ฿1,137

20.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$74.0 ฿2,472

50.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$97.0 ฿3,239

28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$484 ฿16.2K

252.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$295 ฿9,842

336.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,156 ฿72.0K

18.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$849 ฿28.3K

128.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$1,952 ฿65.2K

291.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,644 ฿54.9K

214.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$662 ฿22.1K

254.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Samut Prakan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $484 in Samut Prakan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 255% 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 $336 vs $198 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 176% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $896 including rent). Samut Prakan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 255% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $484 in Samut Prakan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $153 in Samut Prakan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $896 in Samut Prakan versus $2,476 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 176% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.