Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chang-hua Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chang-hua

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $887 in Chang-hua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,367 in Chang-hua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,848 in Chang-hua.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 162% more expensive than in Chang-hua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Chang-hua is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.77 NT$122

368.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$26.71 NT$862

160.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.84 NT$189

142.47%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$1.86 NT$60.1

50.54%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.91 NT$29.39

208.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.43 NT$13.85

379.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.44 NT$46.51

219.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.08 NT$67.2

125.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.76 NT$89.0

-55.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.88 NT$60.6

7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$3.13 NT$101

-36.74%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.79 NT$90.1

25.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$17.71 NT$572

3.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.81 NT$252

25.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$19.98 NT$645

-4.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$5.04 NT$163

-45.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.97 NT$95.8

-19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.77 NT$89.4

-24.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.10 NT$100

-11.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.65 NT$85.4

-26.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.17 NT$70.2

-17.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.98 NT$63.8

-25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.81 NT$26.10

12.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.15 NT$134

71.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$9.07 NT$293

-13.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.55 NT$49.97

-10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.35 NT$76.0

1.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.72 NT$55.5

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$36.55 NT$1,180

-19.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.89 NT$93.4

50.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.72 NT$23.40

195.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$10.29 NT$332

187.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.08 NT$34.72

68.52%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$37.3K NT$1.2M

1.46%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$26.9K NT$867.8K

20.42%

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

$189 €166

$34.24 NT$1,105

452.07%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$18.64 NT$602

19.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$19.98 NT$645

85.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$25.57 NT$825

126.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$15.29 NT$494

35.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.36 NT$334

4.92%

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

$706 €618

$636 NT$20.5K

11.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$8,532 NT$275.4K

74.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$53.7 NT$1,734

66.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$16.77 NT$541

118.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$84.5 NT$2,726

23.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$54.8 NT$1,770

117.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$310 NT$10.0K

409.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$184 NT$5,925

574.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$533 NT$17.2K

408.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$187 NT$6,032

991.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$2,945 NT$95.0K

155.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$1,608 NT$51.9K

225.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,032 NT$65.6K

16.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.19

54.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Chang-hua: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $310 in Chang-hua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 16% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $27.00 in Chang-hua. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $352, with Barcelona cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chang-hua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Chang-hua differ by about 162% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $887 including rent). Chang-hua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $310 in Chang-hua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $636 in Chang-hua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $887 in Chang-hua versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chang-hua but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chang-hua 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 Chang-hua 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 Chang-hua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.