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: $2,430 in Barcelona versus $797 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,438 in Barcelona versus $1,111 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,446 in Barcelona versus $1,424 in Miaoli.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 205% more expensive than in Miaoli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Miaoli is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.37 €16.14

$2.54 NT$80.8

623.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €60.2

$24.07 NT$766

184.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.84 €12.17

$4.65 NT$148

197.63%

Cappuccino

$3.27 €2.87

$2.96 NT$94.2

10.47%

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

$2.89 €2.54

$0.84 NT$26.85

244.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.65

$0.57 NT$18.01

228.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.95 €3.47

$1.28 NT$40.73

208.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.92

$1.30 NT$41.42

243.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.10

$2.82 NT$89.6

-55.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.91

$1.20 NT$38.18

80.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 €1.57

$2.60 NT$82.8

-31.54%

Eggs

$4.97 €4.36

$2.13 NT$67.9

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.82 €15.66

$9.26 NT$294

92.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 €8.32

$7.55 NT$240

25.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.19 €17.75

$21.78 NT$693

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 €2.78

$3.84 NT$122

-17.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.99 NT$63.2

7.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.30

$3.03 NT$96.4

-13.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.49

$3.02 NT$96.2

-6.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.93

$2.59 NT$82.2

-15.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.82

$1.94 NT$61.8

6.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.37

$2.36 NT$75.2

-33.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.77

$0.92 NT$29.37

-4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.33 €6.44

$3.96 NT$126

85.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €7.03

$11.23 NT$357

-28.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.35

$1.48 NT$47.15

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.44

$2.18 NT$69.5

27.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 €2.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.79 €22.67

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 €2.82

$2.90 NT$92.3

10.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.30

$0.81 NT$25.92

82.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.21 €30.07

$7.23 NT$230

373.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.04 NT$33.22

69.23%

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

$36.1K €31.8K

$33.3K NT$1.1M

8.62%

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

$31.3K €27.5K

$24.2K NT$771.2K

29.08%

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

$190 €167

$69.0 NT$2,194

175.93%

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

$15.32 €13.46

$17.91 NT$570

-14.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.13 €32.64

$22.09 NT$703

68.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.35

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 €14.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.45 €10.06

$11.01 NT$350

4.00%

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

$972 €854

$520 NT$16.5K

86.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.6K

$31.8K NT$1.0M

-47.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 €80.4

$12.64 NT$402

623.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.40 €35.52

$25.17 NT$801

60.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €96.4

$64.0 NT$2,037

71.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$96.5 NT$3,068

26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 €1,455

$224 NT$7,130

638.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 €1,152

$155 NT$4,936

744.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,629 €2,311

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 €1,703

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,607 €6,686

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,114 €4,495

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,385 €2,096

$2,530 NT$80.5K

-5.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

5.33%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 19, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in Barcelona and $224 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $24.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $315 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 205% in total monthly costs ($2,430 vs $797 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $1,655 in Barcelona versus $224 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $972 in Barcelona versus $520 in Miaoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $797 in Miaoli versus $2,430 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 205% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.