Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,130 in Douliu versus $2,495 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Douliu versus $3,550 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,576 in Douliu versus $4,605 in Barcelona.

Living in Douliu costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Douliu is 18% below, Barcelona is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.68 NT$117

$18.39 €15.87

-79.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.43 NT$712

$69.2 €59.7

-67.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.69 NT$181

$14.13 €12.19

-59.73%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NT$109

$3.13 €2.70

10.22%

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

$0.91 NT$28.72

$3.02 €2.60

-69.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 NT$18.83

$1.96 €1.69

-69.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 NT$89.1

$4.00 €3.45

-29.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 NT$118

$4.76 €4.11

-21.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 NT$97.5

$1.25 €1.08

145.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 NT$59.4

$2.16 €1.87

-13.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 NT$104

$1.69 €1.45

94.67%

Eggs

$2.64 NT$83.7

$4.93 €4.26

-46.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 NT$597

$17.88 €15.43

5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 NT$315

$9.61 €8.29

3.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.68 NT$688

$19.34 €16.69

12.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 NT$159

$3.24 €2.79

54.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.34 NT$106

$2.18 €1.88

53.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.1

$2.67 €2.30

12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 NT$137

$2.77 €2.39

56.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$89.6

$2.21 €1.91

28.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NT$75.0

$2.19 €1.89

7.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 NT$54.9

$1.52 €1.31

13.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.37

$0.92 €0.80

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 NT$123

$7.12 €6.14

-45.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 NT$445

$8.14 €7.02

72.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 NT$51.1

$1.50 €1.29

7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NT$69.9

$2.78 €2.40

-20.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.47

$3.15 €2.72

-79.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.67 NT$1,163

$26.99 €23.29

35.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 NT$87.1

$3.25 €2.80

-15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.61

$1.50 €1.30

-48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.62 NT$305

$34.89 €30.11

-72.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$31.95

$1.75 €1.51

-42.29%

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

$33.0K NT$1.0M

$36.7K €31.6K

-9.94%

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

$24.0K NT$760.8K

$30.9K €26.7K

-22.48%

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

$82.3 NT$2,610

$188 €162

-56.15%

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

$17.78 NT$564

$15.44 €13.32

15.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.62 NT$876

$37.80 €32.61

-26.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 NT$1,149

$57.2 €49.34

-36.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.49

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 NT$301

$11.58 €9.99

-18.22%

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

$616 NT$19.6K

$1,003 €865

-38.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$535.7K

$17.0K €14.7K

-0.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 NT$1,801

$89.2 €77.0

-36.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 NT$1,289

$40.87 €35.27

-0.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 NT$2,616

$110 €94.9

-25.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,203

$123 €106

-17.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 NT$12.5K

$1,673 €1,444

-76.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 NT$7,946

$1,331 €1,149

-81.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.5K

$2,596 €2,240

-63.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NT$23.1K

$1,950 €1,683

-62.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,200 NT$228.4K

$7,573 €6,535

-4.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,928 NT$156.3K

$5,370 €4,634

-8.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,526 NT$80.1K

$2,402 €2,073

5.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.35

3.16

-25.63%

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

Last update for Douliu: August 30, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $395 in Douliu and $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Douliu pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Douliu vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $332, 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

Douliu vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Douliu and Barcelona differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($1,130 vs $2,495 including rent). Douliu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Douliu, 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: $395 in Douliu versus $1,673 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Douliu versus $1,003 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 $1,130 in Douliu versus $2,495 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Douliu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Douliu 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, Douliu 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 Douliu 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.