Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pingtung city Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Pingtung city

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $897 in Pingtung city.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,476 in Pingtung city.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,054 in Pingtung city.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 176% more expensive than in Pingtung city, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Pingtung city is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$5.50 NT$175

240.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$31.63 NT$1,007

119.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$4.74 NT$151

190.51%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.83 NT$90.2

9.54%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$0.99 NT$31.57

185.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.72 NT$22.76

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$1.55 NT$49.50

156.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$2.51 NT$79.7

80.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$3.31 NT$105

-61.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.26 NT$71.9

-4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.90 NT$92.5

-39.31%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.59 NT$82.3

98.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$15.16 NT$483

17.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$8.00 NT$255

20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$15.16 NT$482

32.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$4.44 NT$141

-26.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.96 NT$62.5

13.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.79 NT$57.0

45.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$3.13 NT$99.8

-11.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.24 NT$39.36

78.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.95 NT$62.0

8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.43 NT$77.4

-36.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.90 NT$28.73

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.76 NT$120

95.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$16.00 NT$509

-49.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.63 NT$51.8

-5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.15 NT$68.3

29.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$0.46 NT$14.59

576.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$2.61 NT$83.0

25.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.76 NT$24.25

94.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$6.13 NT$195

459.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.04 NT$33.11

66.35%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

7.14%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$23.9K NT$760.2K

27.89%

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

$187 €163

$110 NT$3,510

69.66%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$14.77 NT$470

2.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$26.72 NT$851

41.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$9.99 NT$318

14.21%

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

$997 €869

$347 NT$11.0K

187.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$14.1K NT$447.6K

17.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$68.7 NT$2,187

34.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$34.58 NT$1,101

19.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$86.0 NT$2,737

29.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$100 NT$3,194

24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$247 NT$7,876

589.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$155 NT$4,931

730.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$730 NT$23.2K

251.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$374 NT$11.9K

419.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$1,962 NT$62.5K

19.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.27

39.21%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Pingtung city: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $247 in Pingtung city. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 20% 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 Pingtung city. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $338, 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 Pingtung city: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Pingtung city differ by about 176% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $897 including rent). Pingtung city is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $247 in Pingtung city. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $347 in Pingtung city. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pingtung city – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $897 in Pingtung city versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pingtung city but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Pingtung 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 Pingtung 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 Pingtung city gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.