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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $923 in Samut Sakhon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $1,513 in Samut Sakhon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,103 in Samut Sakhon.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 169% more expensive than in Samut Sakhon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Samut Sakhon is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$1.78 ฿59.0

934.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$18.52 ฿612

274.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$5.79 ฿191

142.66%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$1.20 ฿39.66

159.17%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.38 ฿12.72

678.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.29 ฿9.57

572.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$1.95 ฿64.4

104.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.99

$2.81 ฿92.9

64.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.84 ฿60.7

-28.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.44 ฿47.77

46.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.43 ฿47.45

27.97%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$2.25 ฿74.4

129.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.15

$15.46 ฿511

13.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.20

$2.64 ฿87.3

259.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.19

$10.23 ฿338

94.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$3.60 ฿119

-11.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.29 ฿42.71

71.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.96 ฿64.8

33.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.99 ฿65.8

43.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.26 ฿41.66

72.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.09 ฿36.21

93.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.26 ฿41.65

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$0.49 ฿16.14

79.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$4.53 ฿150

58.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$18.09 ฿598

-53.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.79 ฿59.3

-16.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$3.05 ฿101

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.71

$0.40 ฿13.15

685.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.64

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$1.04 ฿34.48

209.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.15 ฿37.87

31.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.40

$3.69 ฿122

855.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.19 ฿39.26

47.06%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$46.7K ฿1.5M

-21.55%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$26.8K ฿886.6K

18.13%

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

$187 €161

$95.5 ฿3,159

95.92%

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

$15.10 €13.02

$12.00 ฿397

25.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.42

$19.69 ฿651

90.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.85

$48.77 ฿1,613

13.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

$14.37 ฿475

16.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.10

$7.65 ฿253

53.07%

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

$1,011 €872

$644 ฿21.3K

56.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$14.8K ฿490.5K

15.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$51.1 ฿1,688

79.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.35

$30.22 ฿999

35.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$98.3 ฿3,251

12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$76.4 ฿2,528

64.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$407 ฿13.4K

319.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,121

$303 ฿10.0K

329.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,232

$1,583 ฿52.3K

63.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$728 ฿24.1K

164.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,667

$2,235 ฿73.9K

245.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,643

$1,700 ฿56.2K

216.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.96

-46.98%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Samut Sakhon: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $407 in Samut Sakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Samut Sakhon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $249 per month, with Samut Sakhon 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 Sakhon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Samut Sakhon differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $923 including rent). Samut Sakhon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,724 in Barcelona and $1,384 in Samut Sakhon 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $407 in Samut Sakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $644 in Samut Sakhon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Samut Sakhon – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $923 in Samut Sakhon versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Samut Sakhon but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Samut Sakhon 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 Sakhon 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 Sakhon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.