Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ubon Ratchathani Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Ubon Ratchathani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,356 in Barcelona versus $790 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,455 in Barcelona versus $1,425 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,553 in Barcelona versus $2,060 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 198% more expensive than Ubon Ratchathani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Ubon Ratchathani is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.64 €15.01

$3.01 ฿96.6

486.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.0

$24.29 ฿779

180.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 €11.88

$6.39 ฿205

118.47%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.35

$1.86 ฿59.5

48.39%

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

$2.76 €2.35

$1.06 ฿34.00

160.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.67

$0.49 ฿15.82

302.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.53 ฿81.1

79.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.85

$2.84 ฿91.2

59.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.05

$1.74 ฿55.9

-28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 €1.73

$1.33 ฿42.61

53.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.31 ฿42.15

45.80%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$2.16 ฿69.2

56.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.34 €15.60

$18.38 ฿589

-0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 €7.99

$3.09 ฿99.0

203.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.08

$10.60 ฿340

78.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.23

$3.10 ฿99.4

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.40 €2.04

$1.26 ฿40.55

90.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.80

$1.89 ฿60.6

12.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 €2.30

$1.59 ฿50.9

69.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$1.48 ฿47.30

38.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.21 ฿38.65

47.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.25

$1.03 ฿32.96

42.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.77

$0.48 ฿15.34

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €5.97

$4.19 ฿134

67.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 €6.46

$13.98 ฿448

-45.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.22

$1.72 ฿55.1

-16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €1.97

$2.67 ฿85.6

-13.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.50

$0.95 ฿30.51

209.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.38 €25.00

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.85

$1.11 ฿35.49

308.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.15 ฿36.74

86.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.97 €24.65

$6.17 ฿198

369.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.28 ฿41.11

47.66%

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

$39.0K €33.2K

$27.7K ฿888.5K

40.87%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$27.0K ฿865.8K

20.11%

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

$189 €161

$75.9 ฿2,432

148.89%

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

$22.24 €18.92

$13.05 ฿418

70.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.57 €31.12

$15.08 ฿483

142.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.38

$49.50 ฿1,587

17.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.30 €18.13

$12.28 ฿394

73.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 €9.37

$6.91 ฿222

59.33%

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

$731 €622

$294 ฿9,438

148.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.6K

$9,474 ฿303.7K

56.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 €76.0

$33.84 ฿1,085

163.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 €31.81

$34.40 ฿1,103

8.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.0

$97.4 ฿3,122

7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.0

$70.6 ฿2,264

64.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 €1,320

$242 ฿7,750

541.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 €1,035

$166 ฿5,307

634.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 €2,382

$809 ฿25.9K

246.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$652 ฿20.9K

208.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,161 €6,094

$2,288 ฿73.4K

212.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,021 €4,273

$1,520 ฿48.7K

230.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 €2,095

$400 ฿12.8K

516.07%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Ubon Ratchathani: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Barcelona and $242 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 516% 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 in Barcelona vs $24 in Ubon Ratchathani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $244 per month, with Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Ubon Ratchathani differ by about 198% in total monthly costs ($2,356 vs $790 including rent). Ubon Ratchathani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 516% 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: $1,551 in Barcelona versus $242 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $731 in Barcelona versus $294 in Ubon Ratchathani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $790 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $2,356 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ubon Ratchathani but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.