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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,188 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,951 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,714 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 97% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Kaohsiung is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$4.05 NT$128

321.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$34.24 NT$1,082

102.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.51 NT$174

150.09%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$3.09 NT$97.8

-10.68%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.97 NT$30.78

187.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.71 NT$22.50

180.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.66 NT$52.4

162.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.73 NT$86.2

73.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$3.50 NT$110

-63.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$2.00 NT$63.3

2.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.61 NT$82.4

-23.75%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$3.33 NT$105

1.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$16.02 NT$506

17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$9.41 NT$297

-0.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$18.01 NT$569

6.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$6.17 NT$195

-56.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.56 NT$81.1

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.84 NT$89.9

-25.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.99 NT$126

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$3.01 NT$95.1

-34.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.13 NT$67.2

-15.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.85 NT$58.6

-21.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.19 NT$37.52

-27.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.38 NT$139

54.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$15.51 NT$490

-49.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.72 NT$54.3

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.46 NT$77.7

-3.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.82 NT$25.79

256.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$26.56 NT$840

8.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.94 NT$92.9

51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.78 NT$24.73

162.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$6.28 NT$198

370.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.03 NT$32.71

76.70%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

14.55%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$25.7K NT$811.1K

29.01%

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

$189 €163

$102 NT$3,225

85.50%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$25.18 NT$796

-9.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$25.61 NT$810

46.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$39.43 NT$1,246

46.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$11.15 NT$352

86.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$10.08 NT$319

7.34%

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

$728 €628

$428 NT$13.5K

70.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$11.5K NT$362.7K

28.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$95.0 NT$3,004

-6.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$36.01 NT$1,138

2.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$89.3 NT$2,824

14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$101 NT$3,191

15.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$443 NT$14.0K

253.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$281 NT$8,897

332.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$950 NT$30.0K

194.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$682 NT$21.6K

189.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$4,584 NT$144.9K

69.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$3,194 NT$101.0K

62.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,503 NT$47.5K

55.96%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 56% 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 $319 vs $385, 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 97% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,188 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 56% 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 $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $428 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $2,337 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 97% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.