Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chang-hua and Taichung

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $1,145 in Taichung, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index

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Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chang-hua 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 Chang-hua and in Taichung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $864 per month in Chang-hua vs $1,145 in Taichung, rent included.

Chang-hua $864
Taichung $1,145

A couple spends around $1,343 per month in Chang-hua vs $1,901 in Taichung, rent included.

Chang-hua $1,343
Taichung $1,901

A family of three spends $1,822 per month in Chang-hua vs $2,657 in Taichung, rent included.

Chang-hua $1,822
Taichung $2,657

Chang-hua is about 25% cheaper than Taichung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chang-hua and Taichung are more affordable than the global median – Chang-hua 36% lower, Taichung 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.83 NT$124

$4.67 NT$151

-17.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.76 NT$1,062

$31.15 NT$1,010

5.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 NT$179

$4.60 NT$149

20.22%

Cappuccino

$1.63 NT$52.7

$2.71 NT$87.8

-39.85%

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

$0.96 NT$30.99

$0.99 NT$31.98

-3.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.01

$0.71 NT$23.04

-21.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 NT$44.21

$1.58 NT$51.4

-13.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$2.89 NT$93.6

-24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 NT$77.1

$3.14 NT$102

-24.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NT$67.2

$1.74 NT$56.6

18.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 NT$95.5

$2.59 NT$84.0

13.51%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$89.5

$2.59 NT$83.9

6.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.19 NT$525

$28.15 NT$913

-42.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 NT$308

$7.89 NT$256

20.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.23 NT$688

$16.90 NT$548

25.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 NT$156

$4.22 NT$137

14.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 NT$110

$1.96 NT$63.4

72.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 NT$95.1

$3.00 NT$97.4

-2.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 NT$103

$2.16 NT$69.9

46.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 NT$89.8

$1.19 NT$38.55

132.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 NT$68.4

$1.89 NT$61.4

11.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 NT$54.9

$2.32 NT$75.1

-27.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.97

$0.91 NT$29.66

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$128

$3.78 NT$122

4.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.43 NT$306

$15.59 NT$506

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 NT$44.70

$1.57 NT$50.8

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.4

$2.46 NT$79.8

-6.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 NT$50.4

$0.67 NT$21.69

131.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.80 NT$1,129

$31.36 NT$1,017

10.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 NT$85.9

$2.67 NT$86.7

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.71

$0.97 NT$31.57

-21.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 NT$301

$9.65 NT$313

-3.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.39

$1.06 NT$34.36

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

$33.1K NT$1.1M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-2.36%

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

$24.3K NT$787.5K

$22.7K NT$735.4K

7.08%

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

$31.62 NT$1,025

$122 NT$3,945

-74.01%

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

$16.99 NT$551

$15.08 NT$489

12.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.71 NT$607

$21.01 NT$681

-10.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.75 NT$1,029

$31.97 NT$1,037

-0.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.54 NT$374

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 NT$304

$9.53 NT$309

-1.57%

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

$636 NT$20.6K

$333 NT$10.8K

90.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 NT$257.7K

$16.6K NT$537.7K

-52.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 NT$1,600

$71.7 NT$2,326

-31.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.47 NT$502

$35.65 NT$1,156

-56.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 NT$2,534

$83.4 NT$2,706

-6.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.57 NT$1,607

$116 NT$3,768

-57.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 NT$8,160

$391 NT$12.7K

-35.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 NT$5,528

$281 NT$9,111

-39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 NT$16.5K

$1,218 NT$39.5K

-58.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 NT$5,480

$758 NT$24.6K

-77.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,959 NT$96.0K

$8,582 NT$278.3K

-65.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,631 NT$52.9K

$5,309 NT$172.2K

-69.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,011 NT$65.2K

$1,443 NT$46.8K

39.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.2

2.27

-3.08%

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

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Last update for Taichung: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chang-hua

$358 41.4%

Taichung

$371 32.4% 3.7% $13

Accommodation & Living

Chang-hua

$170 19.7%

Taichung

$281 24.5% 64.8% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Chang-hua

$87 10%

Taichung

$138 12.1% 59.5% $52

Eating Out

Chang-hua

$84 9.7%

Taichung

$104 9.1% 24% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chang-hua

$67 7.8%

Taichung

$158 13.8% 134% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Chang-hua

$51 5.8%

Taichung

$51 4.5% 1% $0.5

Getting Around

Chang-hua

$47 5.5%

Taichung

$42 3.6% 12.4% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Chang-hua versus $391 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 39% higher in Chang-hua, 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 $33.00 in Chang-hua versus $31.00 in Taichung. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Chang-hua vs $371 in Taichung – so Chang-hua wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taichung

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Chang-hua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

226,564

2,767,239

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Chang-hua Taichung 13 km

From you

Chang-hua
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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

Chang-hua vs Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung costs about 32% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,296 per month in Chang-hua and $1,717 in Taichung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chang-hua, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $864 in Chang-hua and $1,145 in Taichung. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Chang-hua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chang-hua, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Taichung at $1,145. In Chang-hua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taichung it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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