Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,074 in Tainan versus $2,367 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Tainan versus $3,465 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Tainan versus $4,563 in Barcelona.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 20% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 NT$193

$17.58 €15.14

-65.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 NT$841

$68.4 €58.9

-61.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 NT$161

$14.06 €12.10

-63.66%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NT$110

$2.78 €2.39

25.90%

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

$1.12 NT$35.27

$2.80 €2.41

-60.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.77

$2.06 €1.78

-61.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 NT$104

$4.46 €3.84

-26.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$105

$4.61 €3.97

-27.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.3

$1.24 €1.07

154.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$60.4

$2.03 €1.75

-5.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$95.0

$1.92 €1.65

57.29%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$89.7

$3.31 €2.85

-13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.81 NT$624

$18.43 €15.87

7.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 NT$315

$9.49 €8.17

5.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.31 NT$640

$19.16 €16.50

6.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$137

$2.64 €2.27

64.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.8

$2.45 €2.11

15.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$2.12 €1.83

35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 NT$135

$2.85 €2.45

49.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$2.04 €1.75

40.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$1.85 €1.59

19.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$52.8

$1.47 €1.27

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NT$33.30

$0.84 €0.73

26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 NT$131

$7.14 €6.15

-41.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 NT$439

$7.88 €6.79

76.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NT$54.8

$1.38 €1.19

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.7

$2.31 €1.99

3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$19.56

$2.98 €2.57

-79.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.71 NT$684

$29.26 €25.20

-25.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$89.0

$4.60 €3.96

-38.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.63

$2.07 €1.78

-62.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$326

$29.18 €25.13

-64.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.08

$1.84 €1.58

-44.57%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$39.0K €33.6K

-3.37%

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

$26.5K NT$836.1K

$32.7K €28.2K

-18.83%

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

$86.7 NT$2,732

$188 €162

-53.84%

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

$18.57 NT$585

$22.93 €19.75

-19.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 NT$724

$36.71 €31.61

-37.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 NT$1,254

$57.4 €49.41

-30.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 NT$486

$20.70 €17.82

-25.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NT$376

$11.19 €9.64

6.61%

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

$269 NT$8,479

$721 €621

-62.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,829 NT$215.1K

$15.0K €13.0K

-54.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,874

$86.2 €74.2

-31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.34 NT$956

$37.07 €31.92

-18.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 NT$2,905

$102 €87.9

-9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NT$3,848

$116 €99.8

5.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 NT$10.3K

$1,534 €1,321

-78.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 NT$6,157

$1,220 €1,051

-83.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NT$21.5K

$2,696 €2,321

-74.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 NT$22.4K

$2,013 €1,734

-64.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 NT$100.3K

$7,220 €6,217

-55.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,153 NT$99.3K

$5,189 €4,468

-39.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,368 NT$43.1K

$2,359 €2,032

-42.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

3.39

-46.02%

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

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Tainan and $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 73% 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: $27.00 in Tainan vs $68.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 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

Tainan vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan and Barcelona differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,074 vs $2,367 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 73% 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: $328 in Tainan versus $1,534 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tainan 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 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $2,367 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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, Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.