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: $1,077 in Tainan versus $2,320 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,884 in Tainan versus $3,426 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Tainan versus $4,532 in Barcelona.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 54% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 19% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 NT$197

$17.66 €15.45

-65.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.21 NT$879

$69.7 €61.0

-60.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 NT$160

$14.16 €12.39

-65.11%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NT$113

$2.80 €2.45

24.29%

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

$1.13 NT$36.39

$2.81 €2.46

-59.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.19

$2.06 €1.81

-63.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 NT$109

$4.60 €4.02

-26.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$112

$4.69 €4.10

-26.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$104

$1.23 €1.08

160.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.6

$2.03 €1.78

-7.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.6

$1.98 €1.73

44.95%

Eggs

$2.78 NT$89.8

$3.49 €3.05

-20.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.96 NT$645

$18.33 €16.04

8.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 NT$327

$9.83 €8.60

2.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.25 NT$654

$19.13 €16.73

5.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 NT$139

$2.73 €2.38

57.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 NT$94.8

$2.38 €2.09

23.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$93.7

$2.08 €1.82

39.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 NT$134

$2.75 €2.41

51.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 NT$94.4

$1.96 €1.72

48.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$73.7

$1.79 €1.57

27.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NT$54.9

$1.48 €1.29

14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.55

$0.91 €0.80

17.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$131

$7.13 €6.24

-43.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 NT$437

$7.88 €6.89

71.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$56.7

$1.38 €1.21

26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$76.0

$2.39 €2.09

-1.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 NT$18.90

$3.01 €2.63

-80.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.97 NT$710

$29.35 €25.68

-25.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 NT$93.6

$4.36 €3.82

-33.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.57

$2.13 €1.86

-62.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$334

$29.60 €25.90

-65.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.69

$1.82 €1.59

-44.51%

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

$38.6K NT$1.2M

$37.9K €33.1K

1.88%

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

$26.4K NT$854.6K

$32.4K €28.3K

-18.32%

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

$84.6 NT$2,734

$189 €165

-55.25%

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

$18.51 NT$598

$22.29 €19.50

-16.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.10 NT$746

$37.16 €32.51

-37.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.10 NT$1,296

$58.0 €50.8

-30.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 NT$487

$20.66 €18.08

-27.11%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 NT$379

$10.87 €9.51

7.91%

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

$273 NT$8,820

$706 €618

-61.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,899 NT$222.9K

$14.9K €13.0K

-53.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NT$1,860

$89.4 €78.3

-35.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.71 NT$992

$36.60 €32.02

-16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 NT$2,993

$104 €91.0

-10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NT$3,922

$119 €104

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 NT$10.7K

$1,579 €1,381

-79.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 NT$6,264

$1,238 €1,083

-84.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 NT$22.5K

$2,712 €2,373

-74.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.6K

$2,039 €1,784

-64.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 NT$98.6K

$7,527 €6,585

-59.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,037 NT$98.1K

$5,239 €4,584

-42.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 NT$43.7K

$2,364 €2,068

-42.79%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $331 in Tainan and $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 75% 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 $70.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 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

Tainan vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan and Barcelona differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($1,077 vs $2,320 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Barcelona. 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: $331 in Tainan versus $1,579 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Tainan versus $706 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Barcelona pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,077 in Tainan versus $2,320 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 115% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.