Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Taiwan Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Taiwan

Name: Taiwan
Address: TW

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,487 per month in Australia vs $1,048 in Taiwan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,622 per month in Australia vs $1,739 in Taiwan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,757 per month in Australia vs $2,430 in Taiwan, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 137% higher than in Taiwan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 82% above the global median, while Taiwan is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,215–$3,100) than in Taiwan ($779–$1,350), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.49 A$24.56

$4.69 NT$149

272.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 A$118

$31.60 NT$1,006

165.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 A$15.04

$5.08 NT$162

110.83%

Cappuccino

$3.97 A$5.58

$2.90 NT$92.3

36.90%

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

$2.87 A$4.03

$1.01 NT$32.30

184.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.40

$0.63 NT$20.19

284.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.02

$1.86 NT$59.1

322.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 A$11.16

$2.45 NT$77.9

224.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 A$2.52

$3.09 NT$98.4

-41.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 A$4.02

$1.82 NT$58.0

57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.24

$3.08 NT$97.9

-25.00%

Eggs

$4.98 A$6.99

$2.67 NT$85.1

86.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.68 A$13.59

$17.10 NT$544

-43.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 A$12.95

$8.56 NT$273

7.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$21.73

$20.38 NT$649

-24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.39

$4.55 NT$145

-15.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.29

$2.76 NT$87.9

10.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.45

$2.91 NT$92.8

8.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 A$6.82

$3.86 NT$123

25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.10

$2.67 NT$85.0

9.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.28

$2.23 NT$71.1

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.36

$2.16 NT$68.8

10.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.37

$1.18 NT$37.70

43.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.07 A$53.5

$3.85 NT$123

888.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.03

$12.44 NT$396

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.84 A$6.80

$1.56 NT$49.79

210.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.08

$2.16 NT$68.9

133.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 A$4.00

$0.60 NT$19.06

375.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$133

$37.15 NT$1,183

155.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 A$5.09

$2.82 NT$89.7

28.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.34

$0.77 NT$24.46

115.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.92 A$57.5

$9.34 NT$297

338.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.84

$1.02 NT$32.52

28.43%

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

$28.1K A$39.5K

$32.8K NT$1.0M

-14.38%

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

$29.3K A$41.2K

$23.6K NT$752.7K

23.99%

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

$200 A$280

$85.5 NT$2,723

133.54%

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

$29.33 A$41.19

$17.30 NT$551

69.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 A$81.3

$23.11 NT$736

150.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 A$79.0

$36.73 NT$1,169

53.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.23 A$27.00

$11.34 NT$361

69.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 A$22.23

$10.16 NT$323

55.81%

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

$2,163 A$3,037

$548 NT$17.4K

294.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K A$25.5K

$15.8K NT$504.4K

14.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$113

$60.5 NT$1,927

33.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$77.0

$32.84 NT$1,046

66.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$159

$82.1 NT$2,615

37.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$177

$99.3 NT$3,161

26.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 A$2,204

$508 NT$16.2K

209.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 A$1,748

$308 NT$9,821

303.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 A$3,438

$1,093 NT$34.8K

124.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 A$2,743

$785 NT$25.0K

148.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,257 A$11.6K

$8,407 NT$267.7K

-1.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,108 A$8,577

$5,403 NT$172.0K

13.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,015 A$5,638

$1,685 NT$53.6K

138.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

2.4

147.08%

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

Last update for Australia: August 17, 2026

Last update for Taiwan: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,376 in Australia vs $415 in Taiwan. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,754 in Canberra and $847 in Taipei.

Average salary: $3,873 in Australia vs $1,883 in Taiwan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 232% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 174% more in Australia.

Public transport is 159% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 106% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Taiwan.

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

Australia vs Taiwan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiwan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 103% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Taiwan, contributing to the overall 103% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Taiwan, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Taiwan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.