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: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $610 in Taiyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,009 in Taiyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $1,407 in Taiyuan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 281% more expensive than in Taiyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Taiyuan is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$2.14 ¥14.50

725.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$21.30 ¥144

227.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$4.27 ¥28.86

231.62%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.35 ¥15.87

19.15%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$0.51 ¥3.44

450.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.30 ¥2.00

586.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$1.23 ¥8.29

273.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$2.04 ¥13.81

129.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.35 ¥9.14

-8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.74 ¥18.55

-25.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.75 ¥5.08

164.00%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$0.89 ¥6.02

292.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$14.16 ¥95.8

29.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$2.84 ¥19.25

246.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$10.80 ¥73.1

77.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.03 ¥13.75

34.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$1.33 ¥9.03

78.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.75 ¥5.08

177.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.09 ¥7.41

152.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.49 ¥3.30

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.41 ¥2.75

336.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.40 ¥2.73

270.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.44 ¥2.97

106.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$2.03 ¥13.73

251.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$7.45 ¥50.4

5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$0.73 ¥4.96

89.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$1.35 ¥9.14

77.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.27 ¥1.82

1014.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

$12.68 ¥85.8

131.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$1.13 ¥7.67

285.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.21 ¥1.42

914.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

$3.57 ¥24.13

729.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.10 ¥7.45

65.45%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$23.1K ¥156.6K

63.79%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$20.0K ¥135.0K

62.30%

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

$189 €165

$69.1 ¥468

173.52%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$9.42 ¥63.7

136.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$11.86 ¥80.3

213.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$41.69 ¥282

39.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$8.27 ¥56.0

149.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$5.71 ¥38.62

90.37%

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

$706 €618

$419 ¥2,839

68.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$4,243 ¥28.7K

250.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$24.22 ¥164

269.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$49.52 ¥335

-26.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$70.0 ¥474

48.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$66.2 ¥448

80.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$207 ¥1,402

662.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$106 ¥719

1065.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$518 ¥3,503

423.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$240 ¥1,621

751.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$2,639 ¥17.9K

185.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$1,221 ¥8,265

329.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$926 ¥6,265

155.37%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Taiyuan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $207 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Taiyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $194 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 281% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $610 including rent). Taiyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 155% 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $207 in Taiyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $419 in Taiyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $610 in Taiyuan versus $2,320 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 281% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.