Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,330 a month against $1,409 in Cheongju, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. The total is higher in Cheongju despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,409

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cheongju and in Taipei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,409 in Cheongju versus $1,330 in Taipei.

Cheongju $1,409
Taipei $1,330

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,329 in Cheongju versus $2,145 in Taipei.

Cheongju $2,329
Taipei $2,145

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Cheongju versus $2,959 in Taipei.

Cheongju $3,249
Taipei $2,959

Living in Cheongju is roughly 6% more expensive than in Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheongju is 4% above, Taipei is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.47 ₩9,975

$4.70 NT$153

58.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.95 ₩65.4K

$46.13 NT$1,504

6.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 ₩7,853

$5.80 NT$189

1.38%

Cappuccino

$3.66 ₩4,881

$3.37 NT$110

8.61%

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

$1.84 ₩2,461

$0.91 NT$29.61

102.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 ₩1,864

$0.66 NT$21.58

112.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,878

$2.98 NT$97.2

22.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 ₩5,783

$3.64 NT$119

18.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 ₩3,009

$2.95 NT$96.2

-23.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 ₩4,345

$1.92 NT$62.8

69.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 ₩4,079

$3.10 NT$101

-1.61%

Eggs

$2.73 ₩3,651

$2.62 NT$85.3

4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 ₩14.9K

$19.04 NT$621

-41.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 ₩14.2K

$9.54 NT$311

11.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.55 ₩32.8K

$20.87 NT$680

17.63%

Apples (1kg)

$11.40 ₩15.2K

$4.72 NT$154

141.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.59 ₩4,791

$3.33 NT$109

7.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 ₩11.1K

$2.95 NT$96.1

181.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.85 ₩7,810

$4.26 NT$139

37.32%

Potato (1kg)

$5.84 ₩7,797

$2.75 NT$89.8

112.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 ₩4,576

$2.22 NT$72.5

54.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 ₩3,832

$1.66 NT$54.1

72.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 ₩1,769

$1.08 NT$35.08

23.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 ₩4,600

$3.95 NT$129

-12.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.71 ₩25.0K

$13.89 NT$453

34.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₩3,284

$1.58 NT$51.7

55.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 ₩4,546

$2.18 NT$71.0

55.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 ₩1,529

$0.58 NT$18.98

98.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.25 NT$1,182

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 ₩4,675

$2.54 NT$82.7

37.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 ₩1,015

$0.75 NT$24.44

1.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 ₩22.3K

$8.99 NT$293

85.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,813

$1.00 NT$32.62

36.00%

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

$39.0K ₩52.1M

$34.6K NT$1.1M

12.67%

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

$33.7K ₩45.0M

$23.0K NT$750.9K

46.48%

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

$205 ₩273.4K

$85.6 NT$2,791

139.27%

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

$24.30 ₩32.4K

$16.94 NT$552

43.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.72 ₩37.0K

$26.94 NT$878

2.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ₩71.5K

$39.55 NT$1,290

35.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.97 ₩18.6K

$15.36 NT$501

-9.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 ₩15.8K

$9.72 NT$317

21.50%

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

$651 ₩868.5K

$710 NT$23.1K

-8.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩29.1M

$16.3K NT$532.8K

33.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.84 ₩49.2K

$62.0 NT$2,021

-40.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 ₩87.2K

$39.30 NT$1,281

66.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 ₩125.3K

$84.1 NT$2,742

11.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩151.2K

$102 NT$3,316

11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ₩457.1K

$961 NT$31.3K

-64.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$275 ₩367.6K

$456 NT$14.9K

-39.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 ₩1.6M

$1,511 NT$49.3K

-20.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 ₩1.0M

$919 NT$30.0K

-17.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,228 ₩9.7M

$11.4K NT$372.0K

-36.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,619 ₩7.5M

$6,882 NT$224.4K

-18.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,613 ₩3.5M

$1,703 NT$55.5K

53.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

2.4

75.83%

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

Last update for Cheongju: October 27, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cheongju

$488 34.6%

Taipei

$388 29.2% 20.5% $100

Accommodation & Living

Cheongju

$275 19.5%

Taipei

$456 34.3% 65.5% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheongju

$257 18.2%

Taipei

$129 9.7% 49.6% $127

Eating Out

Cheongju

$161 11.4%

Taipei

$124 9.3% 23.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Cheongju

$139 9.9%

Taipei

$129 9.7% 7.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Cheongju

$77 5.5%

Taipei

$59 4.4% 23.6% $18

Getting Around

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8%

Taipei

$45 3.4% 278% $33

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 $342 in Cheongju and $961 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 53% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $49 in Cheongju vs $46 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $388 per month, with Taipei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

1 h behind Cheongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

835,669

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,335 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.49 USD). 1 EUR = 1,491 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.71 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 32.61 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.41 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cheongju Taipei 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cheongju
Taipei

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

Cheongju vs Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Cheongju. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Taipei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Cheongju, 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: $342 in Cheongju versus $961 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $651 in Cheongju versus $710 in Taipei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Taipei – a meal for two runs $46 versus $49 in Cheongju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Cheongju and Taipei are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Taipei wins on affordability, Cheongju on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.