Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,173 in Chiayi versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,961 in Chiayi versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Chiayi versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 50% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 12% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 NT$213

$17.61 €15.04

-61.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.59 NT$1,282

$68.7 €58.7

-40.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 NT$177

$13.75 €11.74

-59.13%

Cappuccino

$2.17 NT$68.6

$2.76 €2.36

-21.38%

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

$1.13 NT$35.56

$2.78 €2.38

-59.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.84

$2.05 €1.75

-61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$59.4

$4.61 €3.93

-59.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NT$95.0

$4.59 €3.92

-34.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$103

$1.28 €1.09

154.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$60.0

$2.11 €1.80

-9.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NT$100

$1.97 €1.68

61.42%

Eggs

$2.81 NT$88.8

$3.44 €2.94

-18.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.24 NT$639

$18.83 €16.08

7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 NT$312

$9.45 €8.07

4.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.08 NT$634

$19.01 €16.24

5.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 NT$165

$2.72 €2.32

91.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$2.37 €2.03

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.3

$2.08 €1.77

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 NT$136

$2.76 €2.36

55.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$89.3

$1.97 €1.68

43.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.7

$1.79 €1.53

23.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.2

$1.51 €1.29

30.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.12

$0.90 €0.77

47.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 NT$129

$6.76 €5.77

-39.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 NT$153

$7.55 €6.44

-35.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.2

$1.44 €1.23

21.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$75.5

$2.41 €2.06

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.88

$3.03 €2.59

-72.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.66 NT$1,221

$28.39 €24.25

36.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.0

$4.43 €3.78

-33.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 NT$13.10

$2.05 €1.75

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 NT$319

$29.33 €25.05

-65.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.50

$1.89 €1.61

-45.50%

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

$38.8K NT$1.2M

$38.7K €33.1K

0.26%

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

$28.1K NT$886.2K

$32.4K €27.6K

-13.26%

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

$72.1 NT$2,275

$189 €161

-61.80%

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

$18.85 NT$595

$22.21 €18.96

-15.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 NT$780

$36.82 €31.44

-32.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 NT$1,193

$58.0 €49.52

-34.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.13 NT$478

$20.99 €17.93

-27.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.66 NT$368

$11.05 €9.44

5.52%

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

$645 NT$20.4K

$726 €620

-11.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$592.6K

$15.2K €13.0K

23.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 NT$1,884

$88.3 €75.4

-32.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,074

$36.98 €31.58

-8.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NT$2,934

$103 €87.6

-9.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NT$3,942

$119 €102

4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 NT$13.9K

$1,526 €1,304

-71.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 NT$9,163

$1,218 €1,040

-76.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 NT$32.6K

$2,794 €2,386

-63.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 NT$22.5K

$2,027 €1,731

-64.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,483 NT$236.2K

$7,094 €6,058

5.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,182 NT$163.6K

$4,849 €4,141

6.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,122 NT$67.0K

$2,404 €2,053

-11.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

3.39

-35.40%

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

Last update for Chiayi: April 27, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Chiayi and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 13% 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: $41.00 in Chiayi vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $320, 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

Chiayi vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi and Barcelona differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,173 vs $2,341 including rent). Chiayi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 13% 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: $440 in Chiayi versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $645 in Chiayi versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,173 in Chiayi versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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, Chiayi and Barcelona 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.