Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhongli City Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Zhongli City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $1,063 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $1,790 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $2,517 in Zhongli City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than Zhongli City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Zhongli City is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$5.21 NT$165

227.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$20.60 NT$651

236.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$4.85 NT$153

184.12%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.50 NT$78.9

10.40%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.79 NT$24.87

253.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.57 NT$17.88

249.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.42 NT$44.79

207.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.50 NT$47.43

216.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$3.37 NT$107

-61.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.71 NT$54.2

19.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.78 NT$87.9

-28.42%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$2.62 NT$82.8

29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$30.86 NT$975

-39.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$8.07 NT$255

15.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$15.75 NT$498

21.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$4.68 NT$148

-42.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.76 NT$55.7

32.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.29 NT$72.3

-7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.10 NT$97.9

-8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.34 NT$42.45

47.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.91 NT$60.3

-5.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.34 NT$74.0

-38.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.30 NT$40.99

-33.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$4.19 NT$132

61.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$15.60 NT$493

-49.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.67 NT$52.7

-16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.35 NT$74.3

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.58 NT$18.42

403.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$40.20 NT$1,271

-28.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.84 NT$89.8

57.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.78 NT$24.71

162.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$10.34 NT$327

185.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.96 NT$30.35

89.58%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$34.0K NT$1.1M

14.29%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$26.3K NT$831.3K

25.88%

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

$189 €163

$97.5 NT$3,082

94.10%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$13.46 NT$425

69.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$10.31 NT$326

264.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$37.66 NT$1,190

53.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$15.34 NT$485

35.20%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$9.28 NT$293

16.59%

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

$728 €628

$355 NT$11.2K

104.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$20.8K NT$658.9K

-29.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$61.2 NT$1,933

44.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$20.02 NT$633

84.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$78.7 NT$2,487

29.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$67.2 NT$2,124

72.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$421 NT$13.3K

272.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$265 NT$8,368

360.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$1,024 NT$32.4K

172.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$757 NT$23.9K

161.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

$2,330 NT$73.7K

0.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.1

61.43%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $421 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 1% 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 $21.00 in Zhongli City. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $388, 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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zhongli City differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $1,063 including rent). Zhongli City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 1% 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 $421 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $355 in Zhongli City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,063 in Zhongli City versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhongli City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.