Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Miaoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Miaoli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $888 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,619 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,351 in Miaoli.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 161% more expensive than in Miaoli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Miaoli is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.29 NT$106

436.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$24.96 NT$806

179.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$4.98 NT$161

184.34%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.79 NT$90.0

0.36%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.17 NT$37.67

140.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.75 NT$24.11

174.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.64 NT$52.9

180.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.59 NT$83.7

81.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.93 NT$94.7

-58.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.39 NT$44.88

46.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.40 NT$77.6

-17.50%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.21 NT$71.2

57.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$9.19 NT$297

99.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.07 NT$260

21.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$20.70 NT$668

-7.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$3.29 NT$106

-17.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.04 NT$33.52

128.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.72 NT$87.8

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$3.00 NT$97.0

-8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.34 NT$75.6

-16.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.90 NT$61.5

-5.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.97 NT$96.0

-50.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.91 NT$29.48

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$6.62 NT$214

7.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$11.02 NT$356

-28.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.75 NT$56.5

-21.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.34 NT$75.7

2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.87 NT$28.18

245.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$38.24 NT$1,234

-23.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$3.10 NT$100.0

40.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.79 NT$25.49

169.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$8.02 NT$259

269.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.06 NT$34.09

71.70%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$36.9K NT$1.2M

2.59%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$26.8K NT$865.6K

20.73%

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

$189 €166

$64.7 NT$2,089

192.03%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$28.54 NT$921

-21.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$19.44 NT$627

91.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$37.32 NT$1,204

55.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$15.02 NT$485

37.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$10.27 NT$332

5.84%

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

$706 €618

$584 NT$18.8K

20.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$30.1K NT$971.8K

-50.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$31.87 NT$1,029

180.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$24.09 NT$778

51.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$66.7 NT$2,153

55.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$101 NT$3,248

18.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$335 NT$10.8K

370.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$173 NT$5,571

617.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,021 NT$33.0K

165.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$740 NT$23.9K

175.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$2,442 NT$78.8K

-3.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

69.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $335 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $309 per month, with Miaoli cheaper across the board.

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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Miaoli differ by about 161% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $888 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Miaoli. 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $335 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $584 in Miaoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Miaoli versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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 Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.