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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $885 in Samut Sakhon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,390 in Samut Sakhon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,896 in Samut Sakhon.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 167% more expensive than Samut Sakhon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Samut Sakhon is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.26

$1.83 ฿60.0

860.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$18.81 ฿617

263.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.20

$6.09 ฿200

130.87%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.19 ฿39.20

133.61%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.35 ฿11.64

700.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.32 ฿10.60

543.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$1.92 ฿63.1

132.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.48 ฿81.3

85.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.69 ฿55.4

-26.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.41 ฿46.31

43.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.32 ฿43.36

45.45%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.33 ฿76.6

42.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$15.44 ฿506

19.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.29 ฿108

188.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$11.40 ฿374

68.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$3.26 ฿107

-19.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.33 ฿43.77

84.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.91 ฿62.8

10.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.40 ฿46.08

103.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.47 ฿48.35

38.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.20 ฿39.49

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.68 ฿55.2

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.57 ฿18.81

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$4.74 ฿155

50.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$17.10 ฿561

-53.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.83 ฿60.1

-24.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.36 ฿77.5

-2.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.38 ฿12.39

684.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.39

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.06 ฿34.75

333.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.25 ฿41.04

65.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.32

$3.45 ฿113

745.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.20 ฿39.39

53.33%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$25.9K ฿849.4K

50.70%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$26.7K ฿875.5K

22.54%

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

$188 €163

$76.9 ฿2,522

144.40%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$13.81 ฿453

66.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$18.16 ฿596

102.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.78

$49.11 ฿1,611

16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.96

$12.35 ฿405

67.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$7.90 ฿259

41.65%

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

$721 €625

$296 ฿9,704

143.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$9,193 ฿301.6K

63.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$30.08 ฿987

186.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$19.54 ฿641

89.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$99.5 ฿3,264

2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$43.33 ฿1,422

167.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,331

$426 ฿14.0K

260.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$286 ฿9,370

327.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,339

$807 ฿26.5K

234.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,747

$667 ฿21.9K

201.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$2,265 ฿74.3K

218.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,502

$1,507 ฿49.5K

244.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.45

-37.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Samut Sakhon: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $426 in Samut Sakhon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Samut Sakhon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $250 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 167% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $885 including rent). Samut Sakhon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,550 in Barcelona and $1,328 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $426 in Samut Sakhon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $296 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $885 in Samut Sakhon versus $2,367 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 167% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.