Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surin Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Surin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $919 in Surin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $1,472 in Surin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $2,025 in Surin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 152% more expensive than in Surin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, Surin is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.07

$3.01 ฿102

471.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.0

$27.19 ฿916

160.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.30

$6.28 ฿212

123.25%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$2.01 ฿67.8

38.31%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$0.72 ฿24.40

286.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$0.56 ฿18.90

266.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.96

$2.52 ฿85.1

79.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.10

$3.67 ฿124

27.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.75 ฿58.9

-26.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.87

$1.39 ฿46.74

53.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.27 ฿42.70

51.97%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$2.20 ฿74.3

58.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.24

$18.71 ฿631

-1.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.36

$3.09 ฿104

208.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.57

$10.75 ฿362

75.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.30

$3.11 ฿105

-15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.24 ฿41.91

88.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.95 ฿65.7

6.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.61 ฿54.1

77.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.47 ฿49.66

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.26 ฿42.42

46.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.02 ฿34.41

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.52 ฿17.40

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.94

$4.25 ฿143

59.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.83

$16.98 ฿572

-54.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.81 ฿61.1

-23.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$2.78 ฿93.9

-16.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

$0.88 ฿29.77

240.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.01

$1.06 ฿35.82

332.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.20 ฿40.48

77.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.91

$6.06 ฿204

387.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.29 ฿43.44

39.53%

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

$38.5K €33.7K

$27.2K ฿916.6K

41.41%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$27.2K ฿916.5K

22.36%

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

$185 €162

$74.9 ฿2,526

146.76%

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

$22.68 €19.89

$13.86 ฿467

63.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.25

$18.57 ฿626

98.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.7

$48.67 ฿1,641

18.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.58

$12.42 ฿419

70.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.49

$7.10 ฿239

52.54%

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

$727 €637

$295 ฿9,942

146.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

$9,760 ฿329.0K

50.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$33.37 ฿1,125

162.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.76

$34.35 ฿1,158

8.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.5

$101 ฿3,407

2.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$71.3 ฿2,405

66.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,368

$429 ฿14.5K

263.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,071

$286 ฿9,641

326.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,404

$798 ฿26.9K

243.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,746

$660 ฿22.3K

201.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,567

$1,919 ฿64.7K

290.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,566

$1,553 ฿52.3K

235.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,064

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Surin: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,560 in Barcelona and $429 in Surin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Surin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $254 per month, with Surin 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 Surin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Surin differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $919 including rent). Surin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $1,378 in Surin 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: $1,560 in Barcelona versus $429 in Surin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $295 in Surin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surin – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $71.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $919 in Surin versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Surin but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Surin 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 Surin 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 Surin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.