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: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,069 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,796 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,523 in Zhongli City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 121% more expensive than in Zhongli City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Zhongli City is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$5.19 NT$168

230.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$20.11 NT$649

238.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$4.81 NT$155

183.58%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$2.50 NT$80.9

11.20%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.77 NT$24.99

266.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.60 NT$19.42

226.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.43 NT$46.15

209.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.56 NT$50.5

195.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$3.25 NT$105

-60.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.69 NT$54.6

26.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.75 NT$88.8

-27.64%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.68 NT$86.7

25.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$30.83 NT$995

-38.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$8.31 NT$268

14.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$15.56 NT$503

20.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$4.72 NT$152

-43.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.81 NT$58.5

29.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.17 NT$70.2

-3.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$2.97 NT$95.8

-8.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.35 NT$43.44

45.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.98 NT$63.8

-8.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.31 NT$74.7

-34.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$1.30 NT$42.02

-31.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$4.08 NT$132

66.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$15.30 NT$494

-48.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.72 NT$55.5

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$2.42 NT$78.1

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.63 NT$20.28

361.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$40.90 NT$1,321

-29.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.82 NT$91.0

62.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.74 NT$23.94

175.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$10.25 NT$331

180.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.99 NT$31.91

83.84%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$33.5K NT$1.1M

17.26%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$26.0K NT$839.1K

24.98%

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

$187 €162

$97.7 NT$3,156

90.98%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$13.76 NT$444

61.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$10.15 NT$328

258.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$37.54 NT$1,212

53.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$15.24 NT$492

36.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$9.51 NT$307

13.25%

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

$725 €628

$365 NT$11.8K

98.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$21.0K NT$679.2K

-27.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$61.4 NT$1,982

43.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$20.46 NT$661

79.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$79.2 NT$2,557

30.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$67.1 NT$2,166

76.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$426 NT$13.8K

257.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$264 NT$8,541

363.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,051 NT$33.9K

159.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$734 NT$23.7K

170.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$2,282 NT$73.7K

4.85%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $426 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 5% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $20.00 in Zhongli City. Groceries flip the comparison at $319 vs $387, 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 121% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,069 including rent). Zhongli City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $426 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $365 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 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,069 in Zhongli City versus $2,359 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 121% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.