Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and New Taipei City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and New Taipei City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,384 in New Taipei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $2,281 in New Taipei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $3,179 in New Taipei City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 69% more expensive than New Taipei City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 75% above, New Taipei City 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.04

$5.16 NT$163

241.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.7

$34.11 NT$1,077

101.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.74

$5.67 NT$179

142.50%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$2.94 NT$92.7

-6.12%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.89 NT$28.00

212.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.78 NT$24.78

162.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.93

$2.05 NT$64.6

124.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.92

$2.74 NT$86.4

67.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.09

$3.20 NT$101

-60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.89 NT$59.8

11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$3.01 NT$95.1

-34.55%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.94

$2.92 NT$92.2

17.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.08

$20.31 NT$641

-7.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.07

$8.78 NT$277

7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.24

$20.32 NT$641

-6.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.32

$4.67 NT$148

-41.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.64 NT$83.3

-10.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.77

$2.73 NT$86.1

-23.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$4.21 NT$133

-34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.81 NT$88.6

-29.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.29 NT$72.3

-21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.03 NT$64.1

-25.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$1.30 NT$41.19

-30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.77

$4.04 NT$128

67.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.44

$9.37 NT$296

-19.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$1.65 NT$52.1

-12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$2.34 NT$73.7

2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$0.65 NT$20.45

366.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.25

$41.17 NT$1,300

-31.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.78

$2.84 NT$89.8

55.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.74 NT$23.48

177.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.05

$10.21 NT$322

187.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.07 NT$33.81

76.64%

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

$38.7K €33.1K

$38.7K NT$1.2M

0.19%

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

$32.4K €27.6K

$28.0K NT$885.3K

15.40%

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

$189 €161

$97.4 NT$3,076

93.54%

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

$22.21 €18.96

$24.77 NT$782

-10.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.44

$24.23 NT$765

51.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.52

$39.12 NT$1,235

48.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.93

$16.27 NT$514

29.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.44

$11.65 NT$368

-5.15%

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

$726 €620

$633 NT$20.0K

14.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$18.7K NT$589.8K

-18.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.4

$78.3 NT$2,472

12.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.58

$34.44 NT$1,087

7.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.6

$95.0 NT$2,998

7.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$123 NT$3,889

-3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,304

$655 NT$20.7K

132.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$464 NT$14.6K

162.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,386

$1,731 NT$54.6K

61.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,731

$1,083 NT$34.2K

87.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,058

$12.7K NT$399.6K

-43.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,141

$7,233 NT$228.4K

-32.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,053

$1,366 NT$43.1K

76.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.19

54.79%

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

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $655 in New Taipei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 76% 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 New Taipei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $380, 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 New Taipei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and New Taipei City differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,384 including rent). New Taipei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 76% 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $655 in New Taipei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $633 in New Taipei City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,384 in New Taipei City versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in New Taipei City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.