Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in New Taipei City versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in New Taipei City versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,179 in New Taipei City versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in New Taipei City costs roughly 41% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Taipei City 3% above, Barcelona 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 NT$163

$17.61 €15.04

-70.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.11 NT$1,077

$68.7 €58.7

-50.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 NT$179

$13.75 €11.74

-58.76%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.7

$2.76 €2.36

6.52%

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

$0.89 NT$28.00

$2.78 €2.38

-67.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.78

$2.05 €1.75

-61.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 NT$64.6

$4.61 €3.93

-55.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NT$86.4

$4.59 €3.92

-40.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 NT$101

$1.28 €1.09

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$59.8

$2.11 €1.80

-10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$1.97 €1.68

52.79%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$92.2

$3.44 €2.94

-15.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.31 NT$641

$18.83 €16.08

7.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 NT$277

$9.45 €8.07

-7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 NT$641

$19.01 €16.24

6.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 NT$148

$2.72 €2.32

71.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NT$83.3

$2.37 €2.03

11.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.1

$2.08 €1.77

31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NT$133

$2.76 €2.36

52.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 NT$88.6

$1.97 €1.68

42.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NT$72.3

$1.79 €1.53

27.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NT$64.1

$1.51 €1.29

34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$41.19

$0.90 €0.77

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$128

$6.76 €5.77

-40.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 NT$296

$7.55 €6.44

24.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.1

$1.44 €1.23

14.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NT$73.7

$2.41 €2.06

-2.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.45

$3.03 €2.59

-78.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.17 NT$1,300

$28.39 €24.25

45.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NT$89.8

$4.43 €3.78

-35.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.48

$2.05 €1.75

-63.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 NT$322

$29.33 €25.05

-65.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.81

$1.89 €1.61

-43.39%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$38.7K €33.1K

-0.19%

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

$28.0K NT$885.3K

$32.4K €27.6K

-13.35%

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

$97.4 NT$3,076

$189 €161

-48.33%

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

$24.77 NT$782

$22.21 €18.96

11.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 NT$765

$36.82 €31.44

-34.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.12 NT$1,235

$58.0 €49.52

-32.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 NT$514

$20.99 €17.93

-22.49%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 NT$368

$11.05 €9.44

5.43%

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

$633 NT$20.0K

$726 €620

-12.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K NT$589.8K

$15.2K €13.0K

22.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 NT$2,472

$88.3 €75.4

-11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 NT$1,087

$36.98 €31.58

-6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 NT$2,998

$103 €87.6

-7.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,889

$119 €102

3.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 NT$20.7K

$1,526 €1,304

-57.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 NT$14.6K

$1,218 €1,040

-61.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 NT$54.6K

$2,794 €2,386

-38.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 NT$34.2K

$2,027 €1,731

-46.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$399.6K

$7,094 €6,058

78.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,233 NT$228.4K

$4,849 €4,141

49.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 NT$43.1K

$2,404 €2,053

-43.19%

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 New Taipei City: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in New Taipei City and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 76% 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 New Taipei City vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 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

New Taipei City vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City and Barcelona differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,384 vs $2,341 including rent). New Taipei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 76% 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: $655 in New Taipei City versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $633 in New Taipei City 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 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,384 in New Taipei City versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in New Taipei City but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes New Taipei 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, New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.