Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Taichung

For one person, living is cheaper in Taichung: $1,143 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,143 in Taichung.

Austin, TX $2,704
Taichung $1,143

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,887 in Taichung.

Austin, TX $4,133
Taichung $1,887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,631 in Taichung.

Austin, TX $5,562
Taichung $2,631

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 137% more expensive than in Taichung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Taichung is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$4.68 NT$149

332.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$32.12 NT$1,025

164.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.85 NT$155

154.64%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.75 NT$87.6

98.91%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.03 NT$32.80

270.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.74 NT$23.56

237.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.56 NT$49.69

416.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.78 NT$88.7

223.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$3.27 NT$104

-65.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.76 NT$56.2

114.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.66 NT$84.7

22.18%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.62 NT$83.7

58.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$29.33 NT$936

-55.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.13 NT$259

76.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$17.14 NT$547

-6.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.22 NT$135

3.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.92 NT$61.3

-24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.99 NT$95.3

51.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.15 NT$68.6

94.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.20 NT$38.28

119.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.97 NT$62.9

19.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.40 NT$76.7

-26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.90 NT$28.80

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.75 NT$120

161.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.53 NT$495

-5.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.64 NT$52.3

69.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.47 NT$78.8

40.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.72 NT$23.05

106.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$31.97 NT$1,020

26.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.70 NT$86.1

-1.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.92 NT$29.49

71.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$9.61 NT$307

267.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.03 NT$32.76

-3.88%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.0K NT$1.1M

8.39%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$22.7K NT$725.9K

19.46%

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

$219 $219

$127 NT$4,037

73.32%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$14.84 NT$474

290.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$21.00 NT$670

225.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$32.96 NT$1,052

75.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$11.63 NT$371

27.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.02 NT$320

41.02%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$347 NT$11.1K

335.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.8K NT$537.2K

27.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$72.5 NT$2,314

-28.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$35.93 NT$1,147

22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$85.8 NT$2,738

-0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$117 NT$3,727

-9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$396 NT$12.6K

388.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$273 NT$8,722

365.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,217 NT$38.8K

201.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$774 NT$24.7K

226.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$8,642 NT$275.8K

-11.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$5,368 NT$171.3K

-40.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,432 NT$45.7K

256.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.27

199.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Taichung: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Taichung

$273 23.7% 78.5% $999

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Taichung

$379 32.8% 5.9% $24

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Taichung

$105 9.1% 69.7% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Taichung

$162 14.1% 53% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Taichung

$140 12.1% 8.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Taichung

$53 4.6% 38.5% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Taichung

$42 3.7% 26% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $396 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 256% 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 $32.00 in Taichung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $379 per month, with Taichung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇹🇼 Taichung

🕒 Local time

01:26 1:26 AM

14:26 2:26 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,767,239

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 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 = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

TWD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Taichung 12,710 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Taichung

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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung wins on cost – living expenses run 137% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taichung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 256% 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 $396 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,143 in Taichung – a 137% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taichung runs roughly 27% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,143 in Taichung versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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 Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 137% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.