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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,119 in Zhubei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $2,029 in Zhubei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,940 in Zhubei City.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 112% more expensive than Zhubei City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Zhubei City is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$4.96 NT$156

254.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$34.24 NT$1,079

99.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$5.67 NT$179

147.97%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.70 NT$117

-24.86%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$0.98 NT$30.98

185.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.63 NT$19.84

226.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.26 NT$71.3

97.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$2.69 NT$84.9

71.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$3.25 NT$102

-61.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.99 NT$62.8

2.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$4.34 NT$137

-55.76%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.02 NT$95.0

9.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$13.73 NT$433

34.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$8.74 NT$275

8.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$27.81 NT$876

-31.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.38 NT$138

-39.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.58 NT$81.2

-5.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.78 NT$87.5

-23.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$3.95 NT$124

-27.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$4.02 NT$127

-49.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.53 NT$79.9

-26.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$2.65 NT$83.4

-44.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.39 NT$43.65

-39.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$4.17 NT$131

71.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$9.15 NT$288

-13.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.57 NT$49.58

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.70 NT$85.0

-14.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.65 NT$20.40

358.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

$38.26 NT$1,205

-23.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$3.40 NT$107

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

$0.63 NT$19.78

228.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

$10.19 NT$321

186.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.03 NT$32.42

78.64%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$41.8K NT$1.3M

-6.76%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$27.2K NT$856.5K

20.28%

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

$188 €162

$93.0 NT$2,930

101.96%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$33.79 NT$1,064

-32.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$24.60 NT$775

49.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$34.24 NT$1,079

67.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$15.27 NT$481

35.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$11.76 NT$370

-4.85%

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

$721 €621

$690 NT$21.7K

4.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

$15.2K NT$479.7K

-1.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$85.4 NT$2,690

0.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$47.83 NT$1,507

-22.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$99.9 NT$3,147

2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$115 NT$3,617

0.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$427 NT$13.4K

259.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$212 NT$6,690

474.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$1,180 NT$37.2K

128.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$863 NT$27.2K

133.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$16.8K NT$528.0K

-56.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$9,937 NT$313.1K

-47.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,432 NT$76.6K

-3.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

2.4

41.25%

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

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Last update for Zhubei City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $427 in Zhubei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $34.00 in Zhubei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $394, 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 Zhubei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Zhubei City differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,119 including rent). Zhubei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Zhubei City earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $427 in Zhubei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 in Barcelona versus $690 in Zhubei City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,119 in Zhubei City versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhubei City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Zhubei 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 Zhubei 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 Zhubei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.