Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Marbella Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Marbella

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,494 per month in Taipei vs $1,620 in Marbella, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,394 per month in Taipei vs $2,376 in Marbella, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,295 per month in Taipei vs $3,133 in Marbella, rent included.

Taipei is about 8% cheaper than Marbella, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Taipei and Marbella sit above the global median – Taipei by 11%, Marbella by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 NT$209

$13.74 €11.82

-51.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.45 NT$1,273

$57.3 €49.29

-29.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 NT$182

$10.28 €8.84

-43.68%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NT$118

$2.18 €1.87

72.02%

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

$1.13 NT$35.42

$2.10 €1.80

-46.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.75

$1.73 €1.49

-58.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 NT$104

$2.35 €2.02

40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$104

$3.53 €3.03

-6.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$98.2

$1.20 €1.03

160.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.54 €1.32

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.5

$1.19 €1.02

157.98%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$91.7

$3.30 €2.84

-11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.73 NT$621

$13.24 €11.39

49.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$311

$9.34 €8.04

6.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 NT$641

$17.52 €15.07

16.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 NT$162

$2.39 €2.05

115.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$91.8

$1.81 €1.56

61.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$90.8

$1.12 €0.96

158.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$134

$1.93 €1.66

120.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$1.80 €1.55

55.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.1

$1.23 €1.06

78.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$1.15 €0.99

71.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.72

$0.57 €0.49

143.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$6.66 €5.73

-39.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 NT$456

$11.67 €10.04

24.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.1

$1.39 €1.19

25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.17 €1.87

11.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.05

$2.04 €1.76

-56.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,296

$34.38 €29.58

19.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.6

$2.28 €1.96

27.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$24.94

$2.67 €2.30

-70.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NT$316

$13.68 €11.77

-26.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.63

$1.78 €1.53

-39.89%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$39.4K €33.9K

-3.13%

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

$27.9K NT$877.6K

$30.2K €26.0K

-7.59%

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

$84.9 NT$2,672

$111 €95.1

-23.20%

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

$18.69 NT$588

$24.16 €20.78

-22.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$779

$33.72 €29.00

-26.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 NT$1,323

$51.0 €43.90

-17.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 NT$443

$15.21 €13.08

-7.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 NT$373

$9.39 €8.07

26.09%

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

$626 NT$19.7K

$392 €337

59.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K NT$586.5K

$6,496 €5,588

186.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 NT$1,855

$84.7 €72.8

-30.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,071

$42.09 €36.20

-19.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 NT$2,995

$75.1 €64.6

26.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,891

$108 €93.1

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 NT$24.8K

$868 €747

-9.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 NT$17.0K

$692 €595

-21.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NT$52.5K

$1,305 €1,123

27.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 NT$35.0K

$987 €849

12.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$430.6K

$7,324 €6,300

86.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.0K

$5,100 €4,387

65.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 NT$53.9K

$2,418 €2,080

-29.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

3.51

-37.61%

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

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Marbella: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $789 in Taipei versus $868 in Marbella. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Marbella, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Taipei versus $57.0 in Marbella. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Taipei vs $275 in Marbella – so Marbella wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Taipei vs Marbella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,494 in Taipei, $1,620 in Marbella – roughly 8% apart. Marbella costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,240 per month in Taipei and $2,430 in Marbella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taipei, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Taipei and $57.0 in Marbella. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,494 in Taipei and $1,620 in Marbella. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taipei, where all-in costs run around $1,494, than in Marbella at $1,620. In Taipei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marbella it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taipei – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Taipei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Marbella makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.