Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Songkhla Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Songkhla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $825 in Songkhla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,292 in Songkhla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,759 in Songkhla.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 181% more expensive than in Songkhla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Songkhla is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$1.66 ฿55.8

963.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.66 ฿627

273.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$3.44 ฿116

311.63%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.46 ฿49.10

91.78%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.63 ฿21.11

346.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.34 ฿11.56

505.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.18 ฿73.4

111.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.36 ฿113

39.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.52 ฿51.1

-19.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.89 ฿29.90

128.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.13 ฿71.8

-7.04%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.59 ฿53.4

119.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$16.03 ฿539

14.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$2.60 ฿87.4

278.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$10.66 ฿358

79.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.43 ฿81.7

12.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.74 ฿58.5

36.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.20 ฿40.50

73.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.24 ฿41.76

121.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.52 ฿51.2

28.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.74 ฿58.5

2.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.50 ฿50.4

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.94 ฿31.55

-3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.37 ฿147

63.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$13.31 ฿447

-40.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.59 ฿53.6

-13.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$4.67 ฿157

-48.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.88 ฿29.66

242.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$60.9 ฿2,049

-51.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.26 ฿42.44

246.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.77 ฿25.86

176.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$9.13 ฿307

224.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.30 ฿43.78

40.00%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$28.2K ฿947.9K

34.43%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$37.3K ฿1.3M

-13.25%

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

$189 €166

$89.9 ฿3,022

110.34%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$12.77 ฿430

74.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$18.84 ฿634

97.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$49.59 ฿1,668

17.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$1.80 ฿60.4

1047.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$5.52 ฿186

96.92%

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

$706 €618

$126 ฿4,223

462.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$9,855 ฿331.4K

50.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$30.72 ฿1,033

191.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.35 ฿1,155

6.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$99.7 ฿3,353

4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$21.65 ฿728

451.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$278 ฿9,334

468.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$183 ฿6,148

577.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$604 ฿20.3K

349.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$428 ฿14.4K

376.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,191 ฿73.7K

243.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,588 ฿53.4K

229.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$793 ฿26.7K

198.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

9.33

-63.67%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Songkhla: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $278 in Songkhla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 198% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $19.00 in Songkhla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $235 per month, with Songkhla 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 Songkhla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Songkhla differ by about 181% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $825 including rent). Songkhla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 198% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $278 in Songkhla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $126 in Songkhla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $825 in Songkhla versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Songkhla but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Songkhla 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 Songkhla 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 Songkhla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.