Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Taiyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Taiyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $629 in Taiyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,018 in Taiyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $1,406 in Taiyuan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 276% more expensive than Taiyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Taiyuan is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$2.15 ¥14.53

717.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$21.14 ¥143

223.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$4.30 ¥29.11

226.98%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$2.38 ¥16.14

16.81%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.54 ¥3.66

418.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.32 ¥2.20

543.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$1.27 ¥8.62

251.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.15 ¥14.55

114.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.37 ¥9.26

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.85 ¥19.26

-28.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.70 ¥4.77

174.29%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$0.93 ¥6.33

255.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$14.09 ¥95.4

30.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$2.84 ¥19.25

234.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.94 ¥74.1

75.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.14 ¥14.51

23.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.32 ¥8.90

85.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$0.83 ¥5.61

155.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.09 ¥7.36

161.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.49 ¥3.33

316.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.40 ¥2.71

362.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$0.44 ¥2.97

234.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.41 ¥2.76

104.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$2.11 ¥14.27

238.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$7.29 ¥49.34

8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.72 ¥4.85

91.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.36 ¥9.21

69.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.29 ¥1.97

927.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$12.36 ¥83.7

136.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$1.08 ¥7.34

325.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.21 ¥1.42

885.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$3.44 ¥23.31

748.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.10 ¥7.43

67.27%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$23.0K ¥155.9K

69.33%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$20.4K ¥138.2K

60.19%

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

$188 €162

$69.0 ¥467

172.32%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$9.73 ¥65.9

135.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$12.08 ¥81.7

203.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$41.84 ¥283

37.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$8.45 ¥57.2

144.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.59 ¥37.82

100.18%

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

$721 €621

$417 ¥2,822

72.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$4,244 ¥28.7K

254.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$23.85 ¥161

261.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$48.81 ¥330

-24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$68.5 ¥463

49.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$65.8 ¥445

76.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$208 ¥1,410

636.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$106 ¥715

1055.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$502 ¥3,399

436.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$247 ¥1,672

715.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$2,663 ¥18.0K

171.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$1,226 ¥8,296

323.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$925 ¥6,258

155.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

3.83

-11.49%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $208 in Taiyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 155% 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 $21.00 in Taiyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $195 per month, with Taiyuan cheaper across the board.

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 Taiyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Taiyuan differ by about 276% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $629 including rent). Taiyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 155% 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 $208 in Taiyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $417 in Taiyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $629 in Taiyuan versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taiyuan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan 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 Taiyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 276% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.