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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,122 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,878 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,634 in Hua-lien.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 109% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Hua-lien is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.14 NT$131

325.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$34.47 NT$1,091

99.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$4.64 NT$147

196.34%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$3.42 NT$108

-19.30%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.95 NT$29.97

192.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.61 NT$19.22

236.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.27 NT$40.10

262.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$1.95 NT$61.7

135.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$3.15 NT$99.7

-59.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.75 NT$55.4

20.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$4.28 NT$136

-53.97%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.44 NT$77.3

40.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$13.80 NT$437

36.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$4.83 NT$153

95.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$16.40 NT$519

15.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$4.44 NT$141

-38.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.55 NT$80.8

-7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$4.06 NT$128

-48.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$3.83 NT$121

-27.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$4.41 NT$140

-55.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$4.00 NT$127

-55.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.55 NT$80.6

-40.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.35 NT$42.64

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$5.15 NT$163

31.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$14.34 NT$454

-47.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.25 NT$71.3

-36.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.93 NT$92.7

-17.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.81 NT$25.69

274.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$39.41 NT$1,247

-27.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$3.35 NT$106

32.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.77 NT$24.40

166.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$12.44 NT$394

135.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.03 NT$32.69

83.50%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$40.8K NT$1.3M

-4.98%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$29.0K NT$919.4K

11.40%

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

$189 €161

$75.2 NT$2,380

150.85%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$33.95 NT$1,074

-34.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$25.35 NT$802

45.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$36.92 NT$1,169

57.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$15.09 NT$477

39.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$8.83 NT$279

25.14%

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

$726 €622

$806 NT$25.5K

-9.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$15.2K NT$481.2K

0.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$27.65 NT$875

219.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$46.69 NT$1,478

-20.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$70.0 NT$2,216

46.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$126 NT$3,990

-5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$433 NT$13.7K

252.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$292 NT$9,227

317.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,046 NT$33.1K

167.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$719 NT$22.8K

182.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$2,928 NT$92.7K

-17.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.57

115.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $433 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 22% 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 $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $357, 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 109% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,122 including rent). Hua-lien is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hua-lien earns 22% less. 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $433 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $806 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 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,122 in Hua-lien versus $2,341 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 109% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.