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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $812 in Songkhla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,277 in Songkhla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,743 in Songkhla.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 192% more expensive than Songkhla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Songkhla is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$1.65 ฿53.9

965.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$18.35 ฿600

272.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$3.36 ฿110

318.45%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.46 ฿47.74

90.41%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.68 ฿22.38

311.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.35 ฿11.29

488.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.20 ฿71.8

102.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.42 ฿112

34.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.58 ฿51.8

-21.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$0.89 ฿29.02

128.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.12 ฿69.3

-9.43%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.63 ฿53.2

103.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$16.33 ฿534

12.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.70 ฿88.2

251.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.46 ฿342

83.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.52 ฿82.3

4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.81 ฿59.2

35.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.25 ฿40.81

69.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.30 ฿42.45

119.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.57 ฿51.3

29.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.77 ฿57.9

4.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.51 ฿49.20

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.91 ฿29.79

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.41 ฿144

61.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$13.62 ฿445

-42.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.60 ฿52.4

-13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$4.69 ฿153

-50.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.88 ฿28.64

238.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$61.8 ฿2,019

-52.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.27 ฿41.40

262.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.75 ฿24.49

176.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$9.27 ฿303

214.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.35 ฿44.01

36.30%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$28.2K ฿921.5K

38.40%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$36.5K ฿1.2M

-10.36%

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

$188 €162

$89.4 ฿2,921

110.18%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$12.76 ฿417

79.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$18.48 ฿604

98.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$49.83 ฿1,629

15.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$1.81 ฿59.1

1043.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.43 ฿178

106.08%

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

$721 €621

$123 ฿4,033

484.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$9,497 ฿310.5K

58.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$31.34 ฿1,025

175.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$34.98 ฿1,144

5.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$99.4 ฿3,249

2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$21.75 ฿711

432.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$277 ฿9,041

454.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$180 ฿5,894

576.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$594 ฿19.4K

353.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$426 ฿13.9K

372.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$1,766 ฿57.7K

308.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,319 ฿43.1K

293.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$829 ฿27.1K

184.48%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Songkhla: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $277 in Songkhla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 184% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Songkhla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $238 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 192% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $812 including rent). Songkhla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 184% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $277 in Songkhla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $123 in Songkhla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $812 in Songkhla versus $2,367 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 192% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.