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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,125 in Pingtung city.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,857 in Pingtung city.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,589 in Pingtung city.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 110% more expensive than Pingtung city, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Pingtung city is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.12

$4.94 NT$155

255.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$30.69 NT$966

123.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.09

$5.44 NT$171

158.46%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.03 NT$95.3

-8.25%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.03 NT$32.29

171.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.76 NT$23.98

171.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.67 NT$52.7

167.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$2.63 NT$82.8

75.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$3.83 NT$121

-67.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.98 NT$62.3

2.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.80 NT$88.3

-31.43%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.19 NT$100

3.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.85

$15.76 NT$496

16.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.16

$8.26 NT$260

14.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.48

$16.02 NT$504

19.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.54 NT$143

-41.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.82 NT$57.2

34.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$2.30 NT$72.5

-7.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.99 NT$94.3

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.30 NT$40.88

56.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.89 NT$59.5

-2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.92 NT$60.5

-23.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.18 NT$37.28

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.14

$3.97 NT$125

79.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.78

$15.77 NT$496

-50.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.73 NT$54.6

-20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.56 NT$80.7

-9.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.56

$0.88 NT$27.58

238.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.17

$38.47 NT$1,211

-23.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.95

$2.86 NT$90.2

60.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.73 NT$23.03

183.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.10

$6.01 NT$189

385.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.06 NT$33.21

73.58%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$33.4K NT$1.1M

16.90%

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

$32.7K €28.1K

$25.8K NT$811.5K

26.83%

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

$188 €162

$95.5 NT$3,005

96.73%

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

$22.93 €19.73

$25.05 NT$788

-8.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.58

$21.34 NT$672

72.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.35

$37.05 NT$1,166

54.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.80

$15.42 NT$485

34.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.63

$10.11 NT$318

10.68%

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

$721 €620

$362 NT$11.4K

99.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €12.9K

$11.2K NT$353.2K

34.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$83.5 NT$2,627

3.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.89

$34.63 NT$1,090

7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$90.0 NT$2,833

13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.7

$103 NT$3,254

12.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,319

$437 NT$13.7K

251.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,050

$293 NT$9,227

316.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,319

$1,023 NT$32.2K

163.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,732

$732 NT$23.0K

175.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,211

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,463

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,029

$1,946 NT$61.2K

21.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.18

55.50%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Pingtung city: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $437 in Pingtung city. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 21% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $31.00 in Pingtung city. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $351, 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 110% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,125 including rent). Pingtung city is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 21% 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $437 in Pingtung city. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $362 in Pingtung city. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,125 in Pingtung city versus $2,367 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 110% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.