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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $781 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,408 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,034 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 203% more expensive than Ubon Ratchathani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Ubon Ratchathani is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.25

$2.99 ฿98.0

487.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €59.4

$24.81 ฿814

175.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.19

$6.35 ฿208

121.42%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.95 ฿63.9

42.56%

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

$2.80 €2.43

$1.10 ฿35.99

154.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.53 ฿17.32

288.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.87

$2.39 ฿78.4

86.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €4.00

$2.86 ฿93.8

61.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.67 ฿54.9

-25.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.76

$1.40 ฿45.93

45.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.26 ฿41.22

52.38%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.87

$2.24 ฿73.4

47.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.99

$18.18 ฿596

1.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.23

$3.12 ฿102

204.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.62

$10.98 ฿360

74.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.29

$3.21 ฿105

-17.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.22 ฿40.00

100.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.96 ฿64.3

8.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.47

$1.60 ฿52.5

78.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.77

$1.49 ฿48.80

36.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.21 ฿39.58

52.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.28

$0.99 ฿32.41

48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.48 ฿15.89

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.20

$4.30 ฿141

66.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.84

$14.02 ฿460

-43.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.76 ฿57.6

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.76 ฿90.5

-16.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.59

$0.96 ฿31.48

210.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.38

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.99

$1.06 ฿34.66

333.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.16 ฿37.88

78.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.31

$6.00 ฿197

386.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.24 ฿40.62

48.39%

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

$39.0K €33.8K

$27.6K ฿904.0K

41.51%

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

$32.7K €28.4K

$27.3K ฿896.8K

19.56%

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

$188 €163

$75.1 ฿2,464

149.96%

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

$22.93 €19.90

$12.89 ฿423

77.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.85

$15.15 ฿497

142.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.77

$48.88 ฿1,603

17.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.95

$12.13 ฿398

70.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.71

$7.24 ฿238

54.56%

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

$721 €625

$302 ฿9,915

138.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.1K

$9,663 ฿316.9K

55.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.8

$34.14 ฿1,119

152.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €32.16

$34.44 ฿1,129

7.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.5

$98.9 ฿3,243

3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €101

$69.9 ฿2,290

65.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,330

$248 ฿8,143

517.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,059

$163 ฿5,341

649.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,338

$825 ฿27.1K

226.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,746

$666 ฿21.8K

202.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,264

$1,725 ฿56.6K

318.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,501

$1,338 ฿43.9K

287.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,047

$371 ฿12.2K

536.16%

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 Ubon Ratchathani: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $248 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 536% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Ubon Ratchathani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $246 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 203% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $781 including rent). Ubon Ratchathani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 536% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $248 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $302 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 $25.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $2,367 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 203% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.