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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,001 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $1,746 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,491 in Yilan.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 147% more expensive than in Yilan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Yilan is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.24

$3.56 NT$113

426.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.2

$30.37 NT$965

128.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €11.93

$4.85 NT$154

183.92%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.69

$2.77 NT$87.9

11.91%

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

$2.83 €2.45

$1.05 NT$33.27

169.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.63

$0.71 NT$22.65

164.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.45

$1.49 NT$47.42

167.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.93

$2.94 NT$93.5

54.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$3.21 NT$102

-60.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.72 NT$54.8

25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.66 NT$84.4

-33.83%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.44

$2.55 NT$81.0

101.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.50

$29.36 NT$933

-39.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.37

$7.93 NT$252

21.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.46

$16.85 NT$535

19.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.82

$4.40 NT$140

-26.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.93

$1.93 NT$61.3

15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.25

$1.84 NT$58.4

41.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.39

$2.27 NT$72.0

21.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.92

$1.21 NT$38.55

82.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.84

$1.91 NT$60.8

10.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.34

$2.37 NT$75.3

-34.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$0.92 NT$29.14

3.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.36

$3.71 NT$118

97.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.97

$15.87 NT$504

-49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.34

$1.41 NT$44.87

9.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.42

$2.53 NT$80.4

10.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.69

$0.76 NT$24.03

309.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.41

$36.58 NT$1,162

-29.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.84

$2.74 NT$87.1

19.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$0.93 NT$29.61

59.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.70

$9.24 NT$294

270.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.50

$0.99 NT$31.56

74.75%

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

$36.4K €31.5K

$25.0K NT$794.0K

45.54%

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

$30.5K €26.5K

$19.9K NT$632.4K

53.48%

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

$187 €162

$47.93 NT$1,523

290.32%

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

$15.14 €13.12

$14.86 NT$472

1.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.66

$21.17 NT$673

78.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.48

$31.96 NT$1,016

75.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.81

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.89

$8.29 NT$263

37.64%

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

$997 €864

$347 NT$11.0K

187.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$17.0K NT$538.9K

-2.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.3

$54.6 NT$1,736

69.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.72

$31.89 NT$1,013

29.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.4

$83.9 NT$2,665

32.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$62.7 NT$1,992

99.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,479

$278 NT$8,844

513.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,114

$254 NT$8,075

406.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,223

$992 NT$31.5K

158.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,683

$744 NT$23.6K

161.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,627

$7,457 NT$237.0K

2.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,478

$5,040 NT$160.2K

2.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,035

$1,026 NT$32.6K

128.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

2.27

39.21%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Yilan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $278 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 129% 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 $30.00 in Yilan. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $373, 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 147% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,001 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 129% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $278 in Yilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $347 in Yilan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,001 in Yilan versus $2,476 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 147% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.