Cost of Living Comparison Between Almada and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Almada and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,987 per month in Almada vs $1,175 in Taichung, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,870 per month in Almada vs $1,977 in Taichung, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,754 per month in Almada vs $2,779 in Taichung, rent included.

Almada costs about 69% more than Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Almada sits 48% above the global median, while Taichung is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 €13.84

$5.17 NT$163

211.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €49.28

$30.14 NT$949

90.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €8.94

$5.48 NT$172

89.60%

Cappuccino

$2.29 €1.97

$3.03 NT$95.5

-24.42%

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

$1.77 €1.53

$1.16 NT$36.61

52.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$0.86 NT$27.02

65.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.93

$2.19 NT$68.9

55.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.36

$2.93 NT$92.4

33.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$3.86 NT$122

-72.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.74 NT$54.9

-29.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.82 NT$88.7

-41.13%

Eggs

$3.27 €2.81

$3.27 NT$103

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 €10.51

$31.67 NT$997

-61.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 €6.34

$8.26 NT$260

-10.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 €13.33

$16.07 NT$506

-3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$4.64 NT$146

-50.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.76 NT$55.5

-17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.26 NT$71.0

-14.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.97 NT$93.6

-15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.27 NT$40.12

46.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.97 NT$62.1

4.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.36 NT$74.3

-19.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$1.30 NT$40.95

-46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.45 €5.55

$3.96 NT$125

62.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.76

$16.23 NT$511

-65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.71 NT$53.8

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.66 NT$83.7

-3.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €1.98

$0.94 NT$29.57

144.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.44

$28.86 NT$908

58.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 €3.49

$2.92 NT$92.1

39.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.24 NT$38.97

-33.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.35 €14.92

$10.25 NT$323

69.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.05 NT$33.02

84.76%

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

$34.6K €29.8K

$34.5K NT$1.1M

0.15%

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

$38.8K €33.3K

$26.0K NT$816.9K

49.35%

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

$144 €124

$96.6 NT$3,042

48.99%

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

$21.02 €18.08

$24.51 NT$771

-14.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 €36.95

$22.07 NT$695

94.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.72 €31.58

$36.44 NT$1,147

0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 €14.97

$10.09 NT$318

72.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 €7.55

$10.52 NT$331

-16.54%

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

$615 €529

$355 NT$11.2K

73.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €13.6K

$20.9K NT$656.8K

-24.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$84.1 NT$2,646

24.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.64 €34.96

$34.06 NT$1,072

19.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 €74.2

$96.9 NT$3,049

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.6

$130 NT$4,092

-17.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,014

$379 NT$11.9K

211.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 €878

$292 NT$9,184

249.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 €1,986

$1,056 NT$33.2K

118.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 €1,343

$731 NT$23.0K

113.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,314 €4,571

$7,297 NT$229.7K

-27.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,402 €2,927

$5,260 NT$165.6K

-35.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,390 €1,195

$1,420 NT$44.7K

-2.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

2.18

149.08%

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

Last update for Almada: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,179 in Almada versus $379 in Taichung. 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 2% higher in Taichung, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Almada versus $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Almada vs $402 in Taichung – so Almada 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

Almada vs Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,987 in Almada, $1,175 in Taichung – roughly 69% apart. Almada costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,980 per month in Almada and $1,762 in Taichung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taichung, 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 $57.0 in Almada and $30.00 in Taichung. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,987 in Almada and $1,175 in Taichung. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,175, than in Almada at $1,987. In Taichung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almada it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taichung – 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 Taichung. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almada makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.