Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Taoyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Taoyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,107 in Taoyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,706 in Taoyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,305 in Taoyuan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 111% more expensive than Taoyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Taoyuan is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$5.00 NT$158

241.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$25.74 NT$814

169.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$6.02 NT$190

128.90%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.83 NT$89.6

-2.47%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$1.23 NT$38.97

126.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.77 NT$24.25

158.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.63 NT$51.6

167.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.36 NT$74.5

100.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$3.30 NT$104

-60.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.38 NT$43.61

48.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.51 NT$79.4

-20.72%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.29 NT$72.4

48.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$9.09 NT$287

106.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$7.84 NT$248

19.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$16.02 NT$506

19.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$3.17 NT$100

-14.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.91 NT$60.4

22.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.65 NT$83.7

-20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.03 NT$95.7

-5.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.39 NT$75.6

-17.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.83 NT$57.9

-1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.53 NT$79.9

-42.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.93 NT$29.49

-7.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$6.29 NT$199

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$11.26 NT$356

-29.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.82 NT$57.6

-23.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.35 NT$74.4

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.66 NT$20.79

342.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$41.47 NT$1,311

-30.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.97 NT$94.0

50.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.73 NT$23.13

180.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$7.92 NT$250

273.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.06 NT$33.46

71.70%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$36.9K NT$1.2M

5.33%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.4K NT$833.4K

25.55%

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

$189 €163

$64.3 NT$2,032

194.34%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$29.32 NT$927

-22.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$19.22 NT$607

95.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$37.56 NT$1,187

53.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$10.20 NT$322

103.33%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$10.22 NT$323

5.87%

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

$728 €628

$579 NT$18.3K

25.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$15.3K NT$483.8K

-3.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$80.1 NT$2,533

10.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$23.42 NT$740

57.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$83.5 NT$2,639

22.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$101 NT$3,185

15.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$432 NT$13.6K

263.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$352 NT$11.1K

246.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$839 NT$26.5K

233.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$599 NT$18.9K

229.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

$7,660 NT$242.1K

1.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

$4,716 NT$149.1K

9.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$1,557 NT$49.2K

50.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

1.57

115.92%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $432 in Taoyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 51% 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 $26.00 in Taoyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $302 per month, with Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Taoyuan differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,107 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 51% 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $432 in Taoyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $579 in Taoyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,107 in Taoyuan versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taoyuan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.