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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,159 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,912 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,666 in Kaohsiung.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Kaohsiung is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$4.16 NT$134

312.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$34.09 NT$1,101

99.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.46 NT$176

149.82%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.99 NT$96.5

-7.02%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$1.03 NT$33.19

173.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.72 NT$23.25

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.66 NT$53.7

166.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.77 NT$89.5

66.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$3.54 NT$114

-64.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.07 NT$66.7

2.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.60 NT$84.0

-23.46%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$3.32 NT$107

1.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$15.78 NT$510

20.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$9.24 NT$298

3.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$17.93 NT$579

4.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$5.99 NT$194

-55.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.59 NT$83.5

-9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.78 NT$89.9

-24.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$4.03 NT$130

-32.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$2.98 NT$96.3

-34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.24 NT$72.5

-19.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.92 NT$61.9

-21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.14 NT$36.95

-21.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.34 NT$140

56.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$15.18 NT$490

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.65 NT$53.4

-16.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.45 NT$79.2

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.81 NT$26.16

259.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$27.16 NT$877

5.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.94 NT$94.8

55.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.73 NT$23.55

179.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$6.03 NT$195

376.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.07 NT$34.53

70.09%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$34.2K NT$1.1M

15.03%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$25.7K NT$831.4K

26.13%

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

$187 €162

$105 NT$3,391

77.74%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$25.44 NT$821

-12.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$24.82 NT$802

46.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$38.49 NT$1,243

49.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$11.37 NT$367

82.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$10.36 NT$335

3.96%

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

$725 €628

$427 NT$13.8K

69.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$11.3K NT$364.0K

34.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$95.0 NT$3,067

-7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$36.22 NT$1,170

1.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$89.4 NT$2,886

15.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$103 NT$3,317

15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$448 NT$14.5K

240.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$280 NT$9,030

338.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$925 NT$29.9K

194.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$690 NT$22.3K

187.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$4,510 NT$145.6K

65.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$3,159 NT$102.0K

66.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$1,463 NT$47.2K

63.58%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 64% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $382, 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 ($2,359 vs $1,159 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $427 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 $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $2,359 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.