Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,899 in Kaohsiung versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Kaohsiung versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 51% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 14% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 NT$130

$17.61 €15.04

-76.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.83 NT$1,068

$68.7 €58.7

-50.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 NT$172

$13.75 €11.74

-60.51%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.5

$2.76 €2.36

8.33%

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

$0.97 NT$30.72

$2.78 €2.38

-65.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.88

$2.05 €1.75

-64.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.0

$4.61 €3.93

-63.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$4.59 €3.92

-39.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.43 NT$108

$1.28 €1.09

167.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.1

$2.11 €1.80

-5.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$1.97 €1.68

32.49%

Eggs

$3.30 NT$104

$3.44 €2.94

-4.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$509

$18.83 €16.08

-14.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NT$298

$9.45 €8.07

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 NT$554

$19.01 €16.24

-7.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 NT$196

$2.72 €2.32

127.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$81.7

$2.37 €2.03

9.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.2

$2.08 €1.77

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 NT$126

$2.76 €2.36

44.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$91.9

$1.97 €1.68

47.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NT$70.3

$1.79 €1.53

24.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.4

$1.51 €1.29

29.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.64

$0.90 €0.77

32.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 NT$143

$6.76 €5.77

-32.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 NT$493

$7.55 €6.44

106.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.6

$1.44 €1.23

15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$80.8

$2.41 €2.06

6.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.94

$3.03 €2.59

-72.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.95 NT$851

$28.39 €24.25

-5.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.8

$4.43 €3.78

-34.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.09

$2.05 €1.75

-61.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 NT$193

$29.33 €25.05

-79.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.46

$1.89 €1.61

-45.50%

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

$34.9K NT$1.1M

$38.7K €33.1K

-9.95%

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

$25.6K NT$809.5K

$32.4K €27.6K

-20.77%

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

$102 NT$3,231

$189 €161

-45.74%

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

$25.62 NT$809

$22.21 €18.96

15.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 NT$792

$36.82 €31.44

-31.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 NT$1,252

$58.0 €49.52

-31.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 NT$351

$20.99 €17.93

-47.02%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NT$315

$11.05 €9.44

-9.68%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$726 €620

-40.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$361.7K

$15.2K €13.0K

-24.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NT$3,075

$88.3 €75.4

10.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 NT$1,131

$36.98 €31.58

-3.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 NT$2,781

$103 €87.6

-14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,268

$119 €102

-13.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 NT$13.9K

$1,526 €1,304

-71.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 NT$8,821

$1,218 €1,040

-77.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.3K

$2,794 €2,386

-65.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 NT$21.7K

$2,027 €1,731

-66.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 NT$146.2K

$7,094 €6,058

-34.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 NT$102.5K

$4,849 €4,141

-33.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 NT$48.4K

$2,404 €2,053

-36.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

3.39

-32.15%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kaohsiung and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 57% 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: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 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

Kaohsiung vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Barcelona differ by about 104% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $2,341 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 57% 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: $442 in Kaohsiung versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung 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 $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.