Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surat Thani Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surat Thani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $809 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,312 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,816 in Surat Thani.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 193% more expensive than Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Surat Thani is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$1.90 ฿62.0

825.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$18.39 ฿601

272.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.68 ฿153

200.43%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$1.59 ฿51.8

74.84%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.50 ฿16.37

460.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.30 ฿9.78

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.51 ฿82.1

77.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.73 ฿122

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.92 ฿62.8

-35.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.22 ฿39.98

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.10 ฿35.78

74.55%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$1.89 ฿61.6

75.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$19.57 ฿639

-5.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$3.68 ฿120

157.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.49

$7.93 ฿259

141.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.35 ฿110

-21.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.69 ฿55.3

44.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.12 ฿69.1

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.78 ฿58.1

60.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.21 ฿39.61

68.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.45 ฿47.42

27.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.99 ฿32.20

48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.41 ฿13.54

104.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$3.13 ฿102

128.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$18.86 ฿616

-58.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.65 ฿53.8

-16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.69 ฿87.9

-14.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.10 ฿36.05

170.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.19

$21.39 ฿699

36.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.06 ฿34.71

333.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.61 ฿19.90

239.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.12

$3.67 ฿120

695.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.21 ฿39.37

52.07%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.8K ฿907.9K

40.34%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$33.6K ฿1.1M

-2.65%

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

$188 €162

$77.4 ฿2,528

142.69%

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

$22.93 €19.74

$13.88 ฿453

65.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$18.38 ฿600

99.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.39

$50.1 ฿1,636

14.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$12.18 ฿398

69.95%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$4.49 ฿147

149.22%

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

$721 €621

$703 ฿23.0K

2.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$16.1K ฿525.2K

-6.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$59.3 ฿1,935

45.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$35.21 ฿1,150

5.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$114 ฿3,732

-10.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$84.6 ฿2,762

37.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,320

$240 ฿7,833

539.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$156 ฿5,098

681.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$693 ฿22.6K

288.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,733

$416 ฿13.6K

383.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,216

$2,094 ฿68.4K

244.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,467

$1,698 ฿55.5K

205.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,031

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

5.33

-36.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $240 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $255 per month, with Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Surat Thani differ by about 193% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $809 including rent). Surat Thani 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 $1,213 in Surat Thani 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 $240 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $703 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $809 in Surat Thani versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani 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 Surat Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.