Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yilan Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Yilan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,081 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,712 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,343 in Yilan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 115% more expensive than in Yilan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Yilan is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$3.55 NT$114

397.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$30.77 NT$993

126.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$5.36 NT$173

164.18%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$2.99 NT$96.6

-6.35%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.15 NT$37.15

144.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.75 NT$24.36

174.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$1.53 NT$49.50

200.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$2.94 NT$95.0

59.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$3.62 NT$117

-66.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.69 NT$54.4

20.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.96 NT$63.4

1.02%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$2.74 NT$88.3

27.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$31.74 NT$1,024

-42.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$8.08 NT$261

21.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$16.01 NT$517

19.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$4.56 NT$147

-40.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$0.87 NT$27.93

173.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.22 NT$71.6

-6.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.74 NT$56.2

58.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.29 NT$41.63

51.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.39 NT$44.96

28.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.17 NT$70.1

-31.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.23 NT$39.79

-26.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$4.12 NT$133

73.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

$15.32 NT$494

-48.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.43 NT$46.00

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.58 NT$83.4

-7.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$1.03 NT$33.32

192.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$34.65 NT$1,118

-15.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.91 NT$93.9

49.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.20 NT$38.71

77.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$10.16 NT$328

191.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.01 NT$32.49

80.20%

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

$37.9K €33.2K

$27.6K NT$892.2K

37.06%

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

$32.4K €28.4K

$22.8K NT$736.7K

41.86%

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

$189 €166

$60.4 NT$1,948

213.12%

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

$22.29 €19.52

$16.63 NT$537

34.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$21.93 NT$708

69.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$31.86 NT$1,028

82.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

$16.93 NT$546

22.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$9.92 NT$320

9.58%

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

$706 €618

$367 NT$11.8K

92.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

$20.6K NT$665.8K

-27.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$71.8 NT$2,316

24.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$34.71 NT$1,120

5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$78.8 NT$2,544

31.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$88.3 NT$2,850

35.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$303 NT$9,772

421.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$286 NT$9,221

333.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$673 NT$21.7K

302.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$509 NT$16.4K

300.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

$7,150 NT$230.8K

5.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

$4,917 NT$158.7K

6.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$997 NT$32.2K

137.16%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Yilan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $303 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 137% 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 $31.00 in Yilan. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $374, 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 Yilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Yilan differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,081 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 137% 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 $303 in Yilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $367 in Yilan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,081 in Yilan versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yilan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Yilan 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 Yilan 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 Yilan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.