Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tainan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Tainan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,482 in Barcelona versus $1,186 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Barcelona versus $2,066 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,945 in Tainan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 109% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Tainan is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.42 €15.88

$4.70 NT$149

291.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$25.49 NT$807

172.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.05 €12.11

$4.75 NT$150

195.79%

Cappuccino

$3.11 €2.68

$3.26 NT$103

-4.60%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$1.36 NT$43.02

117.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.69

$0.85 NT$27.02

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.44

$3.13 NT$99.3

27.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.99

$3.53 NT$112

30.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$3.19 NT$101

-58.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.73 NT$54.9

21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.98 NT$94.3

-38.59%

Eggs

$5.16 €4.45

$3.16 NT$100

63.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.56 €15.15

$22.90 NT$725

-23.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 €8.20

$12.95 NT$410

-26.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 €17.19

$20.78 NT$658

-4.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$5.44 NT$172

-41.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.81 NT$89.0

-21.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$4.84 NT$153

-46.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$7.14 NT$226

-60.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$4.77 NT$151

-54.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$4.49 NT$142

-53.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.39

$3.02 NT$95.7

-46.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.50 NT$47.51

-41.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.17 €6.18

$3.90 NT$124

83.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.33 €7.18

$12.17 NT$385

-31.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.02 NT$63.9

-25.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$2.34 NT$74.1

17.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.14 €2.71

$0.66 NT$20.78

375.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 €22.64

$34.24 NT$1,084

-23.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.65 NT$83.8

21.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.97 NT$30.74

55.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.26 €30.40

$5.75 NT$182

513.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.03 NT$32.49

69.90%

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

$36.7K €31.6K

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-0.53%

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

$31.7K €27.3K

$25.5K NT$808.5K

24.07%

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

$187 €161

$90.7 NT$2,872

106.40%

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

$15.10 €13.02

$17.28 NT$547

-12.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.60 €32.42

$21.61 NT$685

73.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.85

$45.85 NT$1,452

21.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.74 €14.43

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 €10.10

$10.79 NT$342

8.53%

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

$1,011 €872

$438 NT$13.9K

130.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.7K

$5,477 NT$173.5K

211.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 €78.8

$94.1 NT$2,980

-2.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.00 €35.35

$46.73 NT$1,480

-12.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €95.4

$118 NT$3,742

-6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €109

$123 NT$3,908

2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 €1,469

$313 NT$9,917

444.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,121

$198 NT$6,280

555.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 €2,232

$866 NT$27.4K

198.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,663

$714 NT$22.6K

170.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,732 €6,667

$4,188 NT$132.6K

84.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,384 €4,643

$3,165 NT$100.2K

70.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,374 €2,047

$1,403 NT$44.5K

69.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.5

26.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tainan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,704 in Barcelona and $313 in Tainan. 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 $25.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $461, 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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Tainan differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($2,482 vs $1,186 including rent). Tainan 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: $1,704 in Barcelona versus $313 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,011 in Barcelona versus $438 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,186 in Tainan versus $2,482 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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 Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.