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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,239 in New Taipei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,038 in New Taipei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,837 in New Taipei City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 100% more expensive than in New Taipei City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, New Taipei City is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.32

$4.70 NT$150

298.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.5

$31.51 NT$1,003

120.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.99

$5.23 NT$167

163.29%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.24 NT$71.3

38.39%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.88 NT$28.06

221.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.56 NT$17.95

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.67 NT$53.3

138.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.45 NT$78.1

84.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.08 NT$98.2

-58.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.82 NT$57.8

18.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.20 NT$70.0

-20.00%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.19 NT$69.6

134.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.58

$25.19 NT$802

-29.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$10.60 NT$338

-8.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.55

$18.94 NT$603

6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.83

$4.13 NT$131

-21.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$2.44 NT$77.8

-8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.81 NT$89.7

-7.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.99 NT$127

-30.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$4.02 NT$128

-45.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.07 NT$66.1

2.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.64 NT$52.1

-5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.04 NT$33.18

-8.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$4.46 NT$142

64.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$8.89 NT$283

-9.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.49 NT$47.31

3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.01 NT$64.0

38.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.82 NT$26.20

279.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.53

$37.92 NT$1,208

-31.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.82 NT$89.9

15.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.99 NT$31.63

49.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.86

$9.69 NT$309

253.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.01 NT$32.02

71.29%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

7.19%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$24.4K NT$776.1K

25.34%

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

$187 €163

$112 NT$3,560

67.38%

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

$15.14 €13.19

$16.69 NT$532

-9.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.83

$22.96 NT$731

64.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.73

$39.29 NT$1,251

42.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.88

$7.78 NT$248

119.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.94

$12.64 NT$402

-9.73%

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

$997 €868

$650 NT$20.7K

53.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$21.2K NT$676.5K

-22.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.7

$35.16 NT$1,120

163.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.91

$31.25 NT$995

31.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$93.8 NT$2,987

18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$99.4 NT$3,164

25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,487

$646 NT$20.6K

164.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,120

$340 NT$10.8K

277.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,235

$1,396 NT$44.5K

83.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,692

$926 NT$29.5K

109.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,662

$12.4K NT$394.5K

-38.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,501

$7,248 NT$230.9K

-28.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,046

$1,391 NT$44.3K

68.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.81

12.46%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $646 in New Taipei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 69% 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 $32.00 in New Taipei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $383, 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 100% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,239 including rent). New Taipei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $646 in New Taipei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $650 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 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,239 in New Taipei City versus $2,476 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 100% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.