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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $800 in Surat Thani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,316 in Surat Thani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,833 in Surat Thani.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 190% more expensive than in Surat Thani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Surat Thani is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$1.97 ฿66.1

796.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$18.49 ฿622

276.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.73 ฿159

199.37%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.52 ฿51.0

84.21%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.47 ฿15.95

497.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.32 ฿10.86

543.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$2.44 ฿82.0

88.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$3.67 ฿123

27.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.04 ฿68.5

-39.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.24 ฿41.68

63.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.11 ฿37.29

78.38%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$1.95 ฿65.7

78.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$19.67 ฿661

-6.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$3.64 ฿123

170.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$7.54 ฿253

153.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.26 ฿110

-16.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.70 ฿57.2

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.14 ฿71.9

-2.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.71 ฿57.5

60.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.21 ฿40.54

61.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.48 ฿49.79

20.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.03 ฿34.55

43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.41 ฿13.91

121.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$3.15 ฿106

126.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$18.59 ฿625

-57.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.57 ฿52.9

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.65 ฿89.2

-9.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.10 ฿36.90

173.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$21.66 ฿728

35.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.11 ฿37.19

292.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.66 ฿22.29

222.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$3.66 ฿123

708.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.26 ฿42.27

44.44%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$27.8K ฿934.5K

36.36%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-1.66%

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

$189 €166

$76.9 ฿2,585

145.88%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$13.74 ฿462

62.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$18.81 ฿633

97.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$49.95 ฿1,680

16.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$12.18 ฿410

69.62%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$4.71 ฿158

130.79%

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

$706 €618

$682 ฿22.9K

3.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$15.6K ฿525.7K

-4.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$58.6 ฿1,972

52.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.37 ฿1,156

6.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$115 ฿3,863

-9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$84.6 ฿2,846

41.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$243 ฿8,169

549.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$153 ฿5,155

707.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$691 ฿23.2K

292.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$410 ฿13.8K

397.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,174 ฿73.1K

246.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,619 ฿54.5K

223.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Surat Thani: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $243 in Surat Thani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $18.00 in Surat Thani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $254 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 190% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $800 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,480 in Barcelona and $1,200 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $243 in Surat Thani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $682 in Surat Thani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $800 in Surat Thani versus $2,320 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 190% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.