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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $867 in Chang-hua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,370 in Chang-hua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $1,872 in Chang-hua.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 186% more expensive than in Chang-hua, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Chang-hua is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$3.97 NT$127

372.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$32.60 NT$1,038

113.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$5.79 NT$184

137.82%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.67 NT$53.1

85.63%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.91 NT$28.84

210.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.56 NT$17.96

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.36 NT$43.16

192.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.18 NT$69.5

107.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.35 NT$74.9

-45.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.94 NT$61.8

11.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.01 NT$95.9

-41.53%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.76 NT$88.0

85.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$16.56 NT$527

7.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.12 NT$322

-4.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$21.85 NT$696

-7.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.85 NT$154

-32.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$3.42 NT$109

-34.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.97 NT$94.6

-12.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.17 NT$101

-12.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.79 NT$88.9

-20.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.23 NT$71.1

-4.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.75 NT$55.8

-11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.80 NT$25.58

18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.95 NT$126

85.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$9.29 NT$296

-13.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.40 NT$44.71

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.22 NT$70.8

25.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.56 NT$49.81

99.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$34.45 NT$1,097

-24.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.74 NT$87.1

19.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.77 NT$24.63

92.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$9.71 NT$309

252.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.02 NT$32.62

69.61%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.3K NT$1.1M

9.33%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$24.2K NT$770.0K

26.26%

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

$187 €163

$31.91 NT$1,016

486.27%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$18.19 NT$579

-16.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$19.17 NT$610

96.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$32.19 NT$1,025

73.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$9.57 NT$305

19.23%

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

$997 €869

$616 NT$19.6K

61.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$7,959 NT$253.4K

107.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$51.4 NT$1,637

80.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$15.65 NT$498

163.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$79.8 NT$2,541

39.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$50.7 NT$1,612

147.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$253 NT$8,065

573.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$173 NT$5,515

642.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$502 NT$16.0K

411.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$174 NT$5,529

1018.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$3,060 NT$97.4K

149.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,651 NT$52.6K

212.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,053 NT$65.3K

14.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.2

43.64%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Chang-hua: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $253 in Chang-hua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 14% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $33.00 in Chang-hua. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $364, 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 186% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $867 including rent). Chang-hua is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $253 in Chang-hua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $616 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 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $867 in Chang-hua versus $2,476 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 186% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.