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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $898 in Surin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,476 in Surin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,054 in Surin.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 163% more expensive than Surin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Surin is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$3.12 ฿102

463.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$27.39 ฿898

149.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$6.28 ฿206

123.89%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.09 ฿68.5

33.01%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$0.72 ฿23.73

288.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.52 ฿17.05

296.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$2.52 ฿82.5

76.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$3.75 ฿123

22.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.75 ฿57.2

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.35 ฿44.42

50.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.32 ฿43.40

45.45%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.12 ฿69.5

56.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$18.71 ฿614

-1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.07 ฿101

209.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$10.77 ฿353

77.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$3.18 ฿104

-16.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.20 ฿39.37

104.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.97 ฿64.6

7.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.58 ฿51.8

80.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.46 ฿47.94

39.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.24 ฿40.73

49.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.98 ฿32.05

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.52 ฿17.17

61.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$4.31 ฿141

65.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$17.52 ฿574

-55.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.75 ฿57.4

-21.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.76 ฿90.4

-16.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.95 ฿31.07

213.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.11 ฿36.33

314.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.14 ฿37.48

81.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$6.09 ฿200

379.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.24 ฿40.64

48.39%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$27.6K ฿905.9K

41.21%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$27.4K ฿899.7K

19.16%

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

$188 €163

$74.8 ฿2,453

151.10%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$13.55 ฿444

69.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$18.29 ฿600

100.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$48.78 ฿1,600

17.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$12.29 ฿403

68.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$7.29 ฿239

53.50%

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

$721 €625

$303 ฿9,941

137.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$9,812 ฿321.7K

53.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$34.21 ฿1,122

152.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$35.10 ฿1,151

5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$98.9 ฿3,242

3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$71.2 ฿2,335

62.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$418 ฿13.7K

267.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$283 ฿9,294

330.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$808 ฿26.5K

233.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$663 ฿21.7K

203.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$1,820 ฿59.7K

296.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$1,554 ฿51.0K

233.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Surin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $418 in Surin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Surin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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 163% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $898 including rent). Surin 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 $1,348 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $418 in Surin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $303 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 $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $898 in Surin versus $2,367 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 163% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.