Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thailand and Spain

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.

Thailand
Spain
🇹🇭 Thailand
$990
/mo nomad
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,775
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Thailand and in Spain

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Thailand and in Spain actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Thailand versus $1,775 in Spain.

  • Thailand $990
  • Spain $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Thailand versus $2,606 in Spain.

  • Thailand $1,614
  • Spain $2,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,238 in Thailand versus $3,438 in Spain.

  • Thailand $2,238
  • Spain $3,438

Thailand ($608–$2,241) and Spain ($931–$2,610) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Living in Thailand costs about 44% less than in Spain on average.

Thailand (27% below) and Spain (30% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Thailand
Spain
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.98 ฿101
$16.69 €15.00
-82.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$26.37 ฿891
$55.7 €50.0
-52.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.69 ฿226
$11.37 €10.21
-41.16%
Cappuccino
$2.02 ฿68.1
$2.42 €2.17
-16.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.66 ฿22.20
$2.68 €2.41
-75.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 ฿11.12
$1.79 €1.61
-81.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.26 ฿76.5
$3.42 €3.08
-33.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 ฿123
$3.88 €3.48
-5.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Thailand
Spain
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 ฿60.4
$1.20 €1.08
49.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.34 ฿45.15
$1.48 €1.33
-9.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.23 ฿41.38
$1.67 €1.50
-26.35%
Eggs
$2.03 ฿68.5
$3.42 €3.07
-40.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.57 ฿560
$14.17 €12.73
16.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.98 ฿101
$8.33 €7.48
-64.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.84 ฿366
$16.20 €14.56
-33.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.96 ฿100
$2.45 €2.20
20.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 ฿42.44
$2.03 €1.83
-37.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 ฿68.5
$2.08 €1.87
-2.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.71 ฿57.8
$2.58 €2.32
-33.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.47 ฿49.60
$1.83 €1.64
-19.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.32 ฿44.41
$2.00 €1.80
-34.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 ฿38.48
$1.31 €1.18
-12.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ฿16.33
$0.77 €0.69
-37.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 ฿144
$6.36 €5.72
-32.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.99 ฿574
$5.64 €5.07
201.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 ฿56.1
$1.30 €1.17
27.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 ฿92.7
$2.09 €1.87
31.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Thailand
Spain
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.91 ฿30.87
$1.64 €1.48
-44.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.94 ฿1,180
$32.91 €29.57
6.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.16 ฿39.29
$4.43 €3.98
-73.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.16 ฿39.04
$1.47 €1.32
-21.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.77 ฿195
$24.98 €22.45
-76.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 ฿45.32
$1.77 €1.59
-24.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K ฿1.0M
$35.5K €31.9K
-13.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K ฿897.6K
$30.6K €27.5K
-13.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thailand
Spain
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.7 ฿2,760
$149 €134
-45.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.47 ฿421
$17.67 €15.88
-29.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.20 ฿615
$31.88 €28.64
-42.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Thailand
Spain
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.2 ฿1,694
$44.24 €39.75
13.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.64 ฿393
$15.29 €13.74
-23.87%
Cinema Ticket
$6.41 ฿216
$9.66 €8.68
-33.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Thailand
Spain
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.8K
$544 €489
2.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K ฿415.7K
$10.6K €9,530
16.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Thailand
Spain
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.3 ฿1,766
$84.9 €76.3
-38.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.83 ฿1,075
$37.11 €33.35
-14.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.2 ฿2,980
$89.2 €80.1
-1.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 ฿2,651
$106 €95.0
-25.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Thailand
Spain
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$495 ฿16.7K
$1,056 €949
-53.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$320 ฿10.8K
$808 €726
-60.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 ฿45.8K
$1,621 €1,456
-16.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$771 ฿26.0K
$1,246 €1,120
-38.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,611 ฿122.0K
$4,135 €3,716
-12.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,072 ฿70.0K
$2,633 €2,365
-21.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Thailand
Spain
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$562 ฿19.0K
$1,999 €1,796
-71.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.67
3.3
71.82%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Thailand: October 25, 2026

Last update for Spain: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Thailand
$320
Spain
$808 153% $488
Groceries & Markets
Thailand
$246
Spain
$272 10.6% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Thailand
$113
Spain
$143 26.3% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Thailand
$112
Spain
$199 76.9% $86
Eating Out
Thailand
$91
Spain
$239 164% $149
Sport & Entertainment
Thailand
$63
Spain
$64 0.9% $0.6
Getting Around
Thailand
$46
Spain
$51 12.5% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $463 in Thailand, $920 in Spain. Capital cities: $713 in Bangkok vs $1,508 in Madrid.

National salary averages: $612 in Thailand, $1,972 in Spain. 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.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Thailand
🇪🇸 Spain
🕒 Local time
16:25 4:25 PM
10:25 10:25 AM
6 h behind Thailand
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
66,188,503
47,415,750
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Thailand Spain 10,180 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Thailand
  • 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
Thailand vs Spain: 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.

Thailand vs other spots: cost of living compared

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