Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chiayi Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Chiayi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,160 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,967 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,774 in Chiayi.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 101% more expensive than Chiayi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Chiayi is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$6.67 NT$211

156.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$40.85 NT$1,291

69.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.61 NT$177

145.63%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.17 NT$68.7

27.19%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.12 NT$35.40

149.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.79 NT$24.90

151.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.91 NT$60.4

128.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$3.08 NT$97.4

53.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$3.10 NT$97.9

-58.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.96 NT$61.9

4.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$3.06 NT$96.7

-34.97%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.93 NT$92.7

15.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$20.43 NT$646

-7.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$10.21 NT$323

-8.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$20.12 NT$636

-4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$5.19 NT$164

-47.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.98 NT$94.3

-21.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.79 NT$88.3

-24.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$4.10 NT$130

-30.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.82 NT$89.0

-30.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.28 NT$72.1

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.90 NT$60.0

-23.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.32 NT$41.67

-34.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.09 NT$129

65.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$4.66 NT$147

69.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.83 NT$58.0

-24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.43 NT$76.7

-2.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.83 NT$26.14

251.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$39.35 NT$1,244

-27.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.79 NT$88.3

59.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.41 NT$13.10

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$10.12 NT$320

192.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.03 NT$32.65

76.70%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$38.7K NT$1.2M

0.41%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$27.1K NT$856.1K

22.22%

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

$189 €163

$73.3 NT$2,318

158.12%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$18.55 NT$586

22.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$24.60 NT$778

52.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$37.24 NT$1,177

55.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$15.21 NT$481

36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$11.88 NT$376

-8.92%

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

$728 €628

$632 NT$20.0K

15.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$18.4K NT$581.8K

-19.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$58.8 NT$1,859

50.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$33.12 NT$1,047

11.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$92.4 NT$2,921

10.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$123 NT$3,902

-5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$438 NT$13.8K

258.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$293 NT$9,252

316.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,056 NT$33.4K

164.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$721 NT$22.8K

173.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$7,631 NT$241.2K

1.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$5,251 NT$166.0K

-1.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,156 NT$68.1K

8.70%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $438 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 9% 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 $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $382, 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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Chiayi differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,160 including rent). Chiayi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 9% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $438 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $632 in Chiayi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,160 in Chiayi versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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 Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.