Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,148 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,899 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,650 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 104% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Kaohsiung is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$4.11 NT$130

328.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$33.83 NT$1,071

103.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$5.43 NT$172

153.22%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.99 NT$94.8

-7.69%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.97 NT$30.80

186.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.72 NT$22.94

184.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.68 NT$53.1

174.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.79 NT$88.2

64.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$3.43 NT$109

-62.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.00 NT$63.3

5.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.61 NT$82.6

-24.52%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$3.30 NT$105

4.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$16.13 NT$511

16.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$9.45 NT$299

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$17.56 NT$556

8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$6.20 NT$196

-56.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.59 NT$81.9

-8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$2.86 NT$90.4

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.00 NT$127

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.91 NT$92.1

-32.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.23 NT$70.5

-19.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.95 NT$61.6

-22.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.19 NT$37.74

-24.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$4.53 NT$143

49.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$15.61 NT$494

-51.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.67 NT$52.8

-13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.56 NT$81.0

-5.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.82 NT$26.01

269.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$26.95 NT$853

5.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.91 NT$92.1

52.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$0.79 NT$25.16

159.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$6.12 NT$194

379.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.03 NT$32.54

83.50%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$34.9K NT$1.1M

11.05%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$25.6K NT$811.5K

26.21%

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

$189 €161

$102 NT$3,239

84.30%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$25.62 NT$811

-13.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$25.09 NT$794

46.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$39.67 NT$1,255

46.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$11.12 NT$352

88.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$9.98 NT$316

10.72%

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

$726 €622

$431 NT$13.7K

68.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$11.5K NT$362.6K

32.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$97.4 NT$3,083

-9.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$35.83 NT$1,134

3.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$88.1 NT$2,788

16.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$104 NT$3,276

15.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$442 NT$14.0K

245.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$279 NT$8,843

335.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$960 NT$30.4K

190.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$686 NT$21.7K

195.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$4,630 NT$146.5K

53.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$3,248 NT$102.8K

49.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$1,533 NT$48.5K

56.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.3

47.39%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 57% 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 $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $384, 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Kaohsiung differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,148 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 57% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $431 in Kaohsiung. 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 $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.