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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,107 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,829 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,551 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 124% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Kaohsiung is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$5.50 NT$175

240.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$32.11 NT$1,022

116.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.83 NT$154

185.09%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.81 NT$89.6

10.32%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.08 NT$34.48

162.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.67 NT$21.33

180.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.48 NT$47.02

168.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.55 NT$81.2

77.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.25 NT$103

-60.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.27 NT$72.3

-4.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.03 NT$96.5

-41.91%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.69 NT$85.7

90.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$15.37 NT$489

16.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.86 NT$250

22.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$15.16 NT$483

32.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$6.54 NT$208

-50.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.78 NT$88.6

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.52 NT$80.4

3.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.13 NT$99.5

-11.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.71 NT$86.3

-18.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.04 NT$64.9

3.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.35 NT$74.9

-34.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.07 NT$34.19

-11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.07 NT$130

80.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$15.91 NT$507

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.59 NT$50.8

-3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.15 NT$68.6

29.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.75 NT$23.72

314.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$12.42 NT$395

108.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.73 NT$86.9

19.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.78 NT$24.81

89.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$5.73 NT$182

498.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.06 NT$33.66

63.21%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.2K NT$1.1M

9.43%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$23.1K NT$735.7K

32.15%

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

$187 €163

$84.7 NT$2,695

121.00%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$17.10 NT$544

-11.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$25.77 NT$820

46.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$40.62 NT$1,293

37.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

$10.32 NT$329

65.50%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$10.95 NT$349

4.20%

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

$997 €869

$474 NT$15.1K

110.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$14.0K NT$444.4K

18.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$94.5 NT$3,007

-1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$33.58 NT$1,069

22.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$86.5 NT$2,753

28.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$99.8 NT$3,176

25.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$407 NT$13.0K

319.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$284 NT$9,042

352.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$998 NT$31.8K

156.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$670 NT$21.3K

189.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$4,684 NT$149.1K

63.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$3,170 NT$100.9K

62.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,439 NT$45.8K

63.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.56

23.44%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 63% 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 $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $363, 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 124% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,107 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 63% 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 $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $474 in Kaohsiung. 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 $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $2,476 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 124% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.