Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chiayi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiayi: $1,067 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
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Chiayi Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Chiayi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Chiayi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,067 in Chiayi.

Austin, TX $2,663
Chiayi $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,503 in Chiayi.

Austin, TX $4,133
Chiayi $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,940 in Chiayi.

Austin, TX $5,603
Chiayi $1,940

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 150% more expensive than in Chiayi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Chiayi is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.83 NT$157

330.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$46.84 NT$1,519

80.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.70 NT$185

116.14%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.36 NT$109

67.56%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.88 NT$28.58

322.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.67 NT$21.68

273.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.85 NT$92.4

182.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.80 NT$123

137.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$3.10 NT$101

-63.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.06 NT$66.8

82.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.04 NT$98.6

7.24%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.66 NT$86.3

56.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$19.77 NT$641

-34.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.75 NT$316

45.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$20.98 NT$680

-22.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.87 NT$158

-11.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.22 NT$104

-54.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.99 NT$97.0

50.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.55 NT$148

-4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.80 NT$90.9

-7.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.35 NT$76.3

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.68 NT$54.3

5.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.14 NT$37.04

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.01 NT$130

146.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.66 NT$151

223.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.65 NT$53.7

76.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.18 NT$70.8

58.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.43 NT$403

235.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.64 NT$85.5

3.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.46 NT$14.94

260.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.66 NT$313

265.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 NT$34.43

-10.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$32.9K NT$1.1M

9.73%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.5K NT$795.8K

10.32%

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

$229 $229

$66.7 NT$2,164

243.11%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$17.52 NT$568

238.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$26.93 NT$873

159.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$31.82 NT$1,032

79.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.84 NT$319

45.12%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$660 NT$21.4K

128.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.8K NT$543.4K

28.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$62.3 NT$2,020

-15.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.44 NT$1,279

11.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$85.2 NT$2,763

-0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$104 NT$3,383

-1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$369 NT$12.0K

416.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$253 NT$8,194

404.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,179 NT$103.1K

139.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,910 NT$61.9K

65.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,110 NT$68.4K

142.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.4

182.92%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Chiayi

$253 23.7% 80.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Chiayi

$379 35.5% 6.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Chiayi

$111 10.4% 69% $247

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Chiayi

$124 11.6% 64.9% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Chiayi

$131 12.3% 2.4% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chiayi

$51 4.8% 40% $34

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6% 70.4% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $369 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 143% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $47.00 in Chiayi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $379 per month, with Chiayi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

13:27 1:27 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

269,874

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

TWD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Chiayi 12,780 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chiayi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Austin, TX vs Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 150% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 143% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $369 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,067 in Chiayi – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 236% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,067 in Chiayi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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, Austin, TX and Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.