Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Miaoli

For one person, living is cheaper in Miaoli: $794 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Miaoli
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Miaoli Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Miaoli

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Miaoli actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $794 in Miaoli.

Austin, TX $2,704
Miaoli $794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,109 in Miaoli.

Austin, TX $4,133
Miaoli $1,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,425 in Miaoli.

Austin, TX $5,562
Miaoli $1,425

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 241% more expensive than in Miaoli, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Miaoli is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.46 NT$78.6

721.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$23.69 NT$756

258.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.69 NT$150

163.33%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.01 NT$96.1

81.73%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.86 NT$27.33

344.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.53 NT$16.97

371.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.23 NT$39.22

555.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.36 NT$43.36

561.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.69 NT$86.0

-57.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.25 NT$39.79

202.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.72 NT$86.7

19.49%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.21 NT$70.5

87.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.25 NT$295

41.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$7.54 NT$241

89.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$21.84 NT$697

-26.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.74 NT$119

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.98 NT$63.2

-26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.05 NT$97.3

48.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.09 NT$98.5

35.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.47 NT$78.9

6.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.04 NT$65.2

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.30 NT$73.5

-23.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.87 NT$27.78

148.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.06 NT$129

141.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.99 NT$351

33.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.49 NT$47.39

86.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.08 NT$66.5

67.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.90 NT$92.6

-7.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.75 NT$23.97

110.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$7.05 NT$225

400.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.03 NT$32.92

-3.88%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.3K NT$1.1M

7.60%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$23.8K NT$758.4K

14.34%

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

$219 $219

$69.0 NT$2,201

217.92%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$18.41 NT$587

214.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$22.34 NT$713

206.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.97 NT$350

28.81%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$517 NT$16.5K

191.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$31.7K NT$1.0M

-32.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$12.55 NT$400

311.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$25.14 NT$802

75.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$63.8 NT$2,036

33.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$99.4 NT$3,172

5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$217 NT$6,917

791.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$158 NT$5,030

707.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,500 NT$79.8K

104.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.38

185.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Miaoli

$158 20.1% 87.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Miaoli

$313 39.9% 22.3% $90

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Miaoli

$84 10.8% 75.8% $264

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Miaoli

$110 14% 68.3% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Miaoli

$90 11.5% 29.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Miaoli

$22 * 2.8% 74.5% $64

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Miaoli

$6.7 * 0.9% 88.3% $50

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $217 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 104% 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 $24.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $313 per month, with Miaoli cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇹🇼 Miaoli

🕒 Local time

13:15 1:15 PM

02:15 2:15 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

89,892

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.76 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 EUR).

TWD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Miaoli 12,660 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Miaoli

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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miaoli wins on cost – living expenses run 241% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Miaoli the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 104% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $217 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,509 in Austin, TX versus $517 in Miaoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $794 in Miaoli versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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 Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 241% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.