Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,097 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,856 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,615 in Hua-lien.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 126% more expensive than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Hua-lien is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.16 NT$132

350.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$28.51 NT$907

143.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.23 NT$135

225.53%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.84 NT$90.4

9.15%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.94 NT$29.92

201.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.55 NT$17.42

241.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.38 NT$43.98

188.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.10 NT$67.0

115.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$2.82 NT$89.8

-54.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.68 NT$53.4

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$4.55 NT$145

-61.32%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$1.90 NT$60.5

170.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$19.71 NT$627

-9.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$6.33 NT$201

52.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$25.80 NT$821

-21.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$2.69 NT$85.6

20.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.60 NT$82.7

-14.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$3.28 NT$104

-20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.20 NT$102

-13.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.34 NT$74.4

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.45 NT$77.9

-13.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.02 NT$64.2

-23.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.91 NT$29.12

4.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.87 NT$123

89.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$12.61 NT$401

-36.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.98 NT$63.1

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.36 NT$75.0

18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.61 NT$19.34

409.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$35.79 NT$1,139

-27.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$3.24 NT$103

0.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.31 NT$9.86

377.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$10.36 NT$330

230.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.89 NT$28.23

94.38%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.3K NT$1.1M

9.12%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$27.3K NT$870.2K

11.72%

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

$187 €163

$102 NT$3,232

84.28%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$19.68 NT$626

-23.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$12.85 NT$409

193.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$36.75 NT$1,170

52.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$10.10 NT$322

12.97%

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

$997 €869

$754 NT$24.0K

32.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$16.9K NT$538.2K

-2.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$58.8 NT$1,872

57.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$35.99 NT$1,146

14.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$80.9 NT$2,575

37.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$106 NT$3,362

18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$417 NT$13.3K

309.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$253 NT$8,045

408.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$983 NT$31.3K

160.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$755 NT$24.0K

157.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$7,481 NT$238.1K

2.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$5,013 NT$159.6K

3.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$2,942 NT$93.7K

-20.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.13

48.36%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $417 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $29.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $368, 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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Hua-lien differ by about 126% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,097 including rent). Hua-lien is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Hua-lien. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $417 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $754 in Hua-lien. 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 $1,097 in Hua-lien versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.