Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,175 in Taichung versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Taichung versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Taichung versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Taichung is 12% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$17.58 €15.14

-70.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$950

$68.4 €58.9

-55.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$173

$14.06 €12.10

-61.02%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.6

$2.78 €2.39

8.99%

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

$1.16 NT$36.65

$2.80 €2.41

-58.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.04

$2.06 €1.78

-58.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$4.46 €3.84

-50.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.5

$4.61 €3.97

-36.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$1.24 €1.07

211.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$2.03 €1.75

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.8

$1.92 €1.65

46.87%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$3.31 €2.85

-1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$998

$18.43 €15.87

71.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$9.49 €8.17

-12.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$19.16 €16.50

-16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$2.64 €2.27

75.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.6

$2.45 €2.11

-28.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.1

$2.12 €1.83

6.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.7

$2.85 €2.45

4.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.16

$2.04 €1.75

-37.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$1.85 €1.59

6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.4

$1.47 €1.27

60.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.98

$0.84 €0.73

54.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$7.14 €6.15

-44.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$7.88 €6.79

105.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.38 €1.19

23.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.8

$2.31 €1.99

15.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.59

$2.98 €2.57

-68.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$909

$29.26 €25.20

-1.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.2

$4.60 €3.96

-36.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$39.01

$2.07 €1.78

-40.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$29.18 €25.13

-64.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.05

$1.84 €1.58

-42.93%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$39.0K €33.6K

-11.46%

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

$26.0K NT$817.6K

$32.7K €28.2K

-20.63%

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

$96.6 NT$3,045

$188 €162

-48.55%

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

$24.51 NT$772

$22.93 €19.75

6.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$36.71 €31.61

-39.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,148

$57.4 €49.41

-36.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$20.70 €17.82

-51.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$332

$11.19 €9.64

-5.99%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$721 €621

-50.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$657.4K

$15.0K €13.0K

38.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,648

$86.2 €74.2

-2.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,073

$37.07 €31.92

-8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,052

$102 €87.9

-5.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,096

$116 €99.8

12.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$1,534 €1,321

-75.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,192

$1,220 €1,051

-76.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.3K

$2,696 €2,321

-60.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$2,013 €1,734

-63.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.9K

$7,220 €6,217

1.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.7K

$5,189 €4,468

1.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$2,359 €2,032

-39.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

3.39

-35.69%

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

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Taichung and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 66% 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: $30.00 in Taichung vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 vs $318, 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

Taichung vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung and Barcelona differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($1,175 vs $2,367 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 66% 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: $379 in Taichung versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Taichung versus $721 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,175 in Taichung versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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, Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.