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Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Spain and Thailand
For one person, living is cheaper in Thailand: $990 a month against $1,775 in Spain, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Spain and in Thailand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,775 in Spain versus $990 in Thailand.
Spain $1,775
Thailand $990
Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Spain versus $1,614 in Thailand.
Spain $2,606
Thailand $1,614
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,438 in Spain versus $2,238 in Thailand.
Spain $3,438
Thailand $2,238
📏
Spain ($931–$2,610) and Thailand ($608–$2,241) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.
🌍
Living in Spain is roughly 79% more expensive than in Thailand on average.
📊
Spain (30% above) and Thailand (27% below) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Spain
Thailand
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69€15.00
$2.98฿101
460.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.7€50.0
$26.37฿891
111.22%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.37€10.21
$6.69฿226
69.96%
Cappuccino
$2.42€2.17
$2.02฿68.1
19.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68€2.41
$0.66฿22.20
306.06%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79€1.61
$0.33฿11.12
442.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.42€3.08
$2.26฿76.5
51.33%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.88€3.48
$3.65฿123
6.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Spain
Thailand
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.20€1.08
$1.79฿60.4
-32.96%
White Bread(500g)
$1.48€1.33
$1.34฿45.15
10.45%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.67€1.50
$1.23฿41.38
35.77%
Eggs
$3.42€3.07
$2.03฿68.5
68.47%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$14.17€12.73
$16.57฿560
-14.48%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.33€7.48
$2.98฿101
179.53%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.20€14.56
$10.84฿366
49.45%
Apples(1kg)
$2.45€2.20
$2.96฿100
-17.23%
Banana(1kg)
$2.03€1.83
$1.26฿42.44
61.11%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.08€1.87
$2.03฿68.5
2.46%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.58€2.32
$1.71฿57.8
50.88%
Potato(1kg)
$1.83€1.64
$1.47฿49.60
24.49%
Onion(1kg)
$2.00€1.80
$1.32฿44.41
51.52%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.31€1.18
$1.14฿38.48
14.91%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77€0.69
$0.48฿16.33
60.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.36€5.72
$4.27฿144
48.95%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64€5.07
$16.99฿574
-66.80%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.30€1.17
$1.66฿56.1
-21.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09€1.87
$2.74฿92.7
-23.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Spain
Thailand
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.64€1.48
$0.91฿30.87
80.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$32.91€29.57
$34.94฿1,180
-5.81%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.43€3.98
$1.16฿39.29
281.90%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.47€1.32
$1.16฿39.04
26.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.98€22.45
$5.77฿195
332.93%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.77€1.59
$1.34฿45.32
32.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.5K€31.9K
$30.7K฿1.0M
15.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.6K€27.5K
$26.6K฿897.6K
15.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
Thailand
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$149€134
$81.7฿2,760
82.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.67€15.88
$12.47฿421
41.70%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.88€28.64
$18.20฿615
75.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Spain
Thailand
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.24€39.75
$50.2฿1,694
-11.78%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.29€13.74
$11.64฿393
31.36%
Cinema Ticket
$9.66€8.68
$6.41฿216
50.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Spain
Thailand
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$544€489
$558฿18.8K
-2.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.6K€9,530
$12.3K฿415.7K
-13.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Spain
Thailand
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.9€76.3
$52.3฿1,766
62.30%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.11€33.35
$31.83฿1,075
16.59%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.2€80.1
$88.2฿2,980
1.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106€95.0
$78.5฿2,651
34.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Spain
Thailand
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,056€949
$495฿16.7K
113.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$808€726
$320฿10.8K
152.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,621€1,456
$1,355฿45.8K
19.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,246€1,120
$771฿26.0K
61.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,135€3,716
$3,611฿122.0K
14.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,633€2,365
$2,072฿70.0K
27.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Spain
Thailand
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,999€1,796
$562฿19.0K
255.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.3
5.67
-41.80%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026
Last update for Thailand: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$808 45.5%
Thailand
$320 32.3% ↓ 60.4%$488
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$272 15.3%
Thailand
$246 24.8% ↓ 9.6%$26
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$239 13.5%
Thailand
$91 9.2% ↓ 62.1%$149
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$199 11.2%
Thailand
$112 11.4% ↓ 43.5%$86
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$143 8%
Thailand
$113 11.4% ↓ 20.8%$30
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$64 3.6%
Thailand
$63 6.4% ↓ 0.9%$0.6
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$51 2.9%
Thailand
$46 4.6% ↓ 11.1%$5.7
🏠Accommodation & Living
Spain
$1.2K 36.3%
Thailand
$771 34.4% ↓ 38.2%$475
🛒Groceries & Markets
Spain
$646 18.8%
Thailand
$555 24.8% ↓ 14.1%$91
🍽Eating Out
Spain
$763 22.2%
Thailand
$306 13.7% ↓ 59.9%$458
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Spain
$217 6.3%
Thailand
$125 5.6% ↓ 42.3%$92
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Spain
$317 9.2%
Thailand
$251 11.2% ↓ 20.8%$66
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Spain
$142 4.1%
Thailand
$138 6.2% ↓ 3.4%$4.8
🚌Getting Around
Spain
$106 3.1%
Thailand
$93 4.2% ↓ 12.1%$13
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $920 in Spain, $463 in Thailand. Capital cities: $1,508 in Madrid vs $713 in Bangkok.
💰National salary averages: $1,972 in Spain, $612 in Thailand. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 99% higher in Spain.
⭐Dining out costs 111% more in Spain.
⭐Public transport is 39% more expensive in Thailand.
⭐Salaries are about 3.2 times higher in Spain, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Spain.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
Spain vs Thailand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which country is more expensive to live in: Spain or Thailand?
At $1,775 per month in Spain and $990 in Thailand, there’s a 79% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do rents compare between Spain and Thailand?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $920 in Spain and $463 in Thailand. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
How far does $2,000 go in Spain compared to Thailand?
In Thailand, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Spain it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
How do I choose between living in Spain and in Thailand?
It depends on what you’re after: Thailand wins on affordability; Spain may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.