Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,218 in Cheongju versus $1,384 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Cheongju versus $2,233 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,948 in Cheongju versus $3,082 in Taipei.

Living in Cheongju costs roughly 12% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheongju is 11% below, Taipei is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 ₩10.4K

$4.61 NT$147

63.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.15 ₩67.7K

$46.83 NT$1,491

4.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 ₩8,385

$5.54 NT$176

9.75%

Cappuccino

$3.72 ₩5,122

$3.46 NT$110

7.51%

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

$1.79 ₩2,470

$0.92 NT$29.44

94.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₩1,969

$0.62 NT$19.83

130.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.76 ₩5,185

$2.78 NT$88.6

35.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 ₩5,799

$3.82 NT$122

10.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 ₩2,842

$3.11 NT$99.0

-33.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₩4,334

$1.97 NT$62.6

59.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 ₩2,608

$3.17 NT$101

-40.38%

Eggs

$2.20 ₩3,031

$2.81 NT$89.6

-21.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.79 ₩14.9K

$19.49 NT$621

-44.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 ₩14.6K

$10.00 NT$318

6.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 ₩20.7K

$21.90 NT$697

-31.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 ₩4,166

$4.80 NT$153

-37.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 ₩4,128

$3.25 NT$103

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.32 ₩10.1K

$2.99 NT$95.0

144.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 ₩8,197

$4.35 NT$139

36.78%

Potato (1kg)

$5.78 ₩7,966

$2.70 NT$85.9

114.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 ₩4,591

$2.28 NT$72.6

46.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 ₩3,816

$1.70 NT$54.3

62.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 ₩649

$1.17 NT$37.22

-59.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 ₩4,735

$4.02 NT$128

-14.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 ₩20.8K

$14.29 NT$455

5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,511

$1.66 NT$52.7

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,142

$2.22 NT$70.7

2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 ₩1,546

$0.61 NT$19.38

83.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.17 NT$1,215

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 ₩3,584

$2.73 NT$87.0

-4.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 ₩974

$0.80 NT$25.61

-11.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.54 ₩22.8K

$9.18 NT$292

80.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ₩1,813

$1.06 NT$33.59

24.53%

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

$29.1K ₩40.1M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-14.44%

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

$33.1K ₩45.6M

$24.4K NT$777.6K

35.44%

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

$198 ₩272.5K

$83.2 NT$2,648

137.63%

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

$24.07 ₩33.2K

$17.73 NT$565

35.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.80 ₩20.4K

$28.05 NT$893

-47.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 ₩75.4K

$41.43 NT$1,319

32.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.74 ₩16.2K

$16.34 NT$520

-28.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.56 ₩10.4K

$9.51 NT$303

-20.50%

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

$631 ₩869.9K

$615 NT$19.6K

2.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K ₩30.1M

$17.1K NT$544.1K

27.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.94 ₩50.9K

$62.7 NT$1,995

-41.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.6 ₩90.3K

$40.32 NT$1,284

62.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 ₩127.7K

$84.7 NT$2,696

9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩155.6K

$105 NT$3,337

7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 ₩387.1K

$898 NT$28.6K

-68.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ₩294.7K

$490 NT$15.6K

-56.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,137 ₩1.6M

$1,550 NT$49.3K

-26.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 ₩1.0M

$971 NT$30.9K

-24.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,177 ₩9.9M

$12.2K NT$389.6K

-41.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,449 ₩7.5M

$7,708 NT$245.3K

-29.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,579 ₩3.6M

$1,714 NT$54.5K

50.52%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Taipei: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Cheongju and $898 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Cheongju vs $47.00 in Taipei. Groceries flip the comparison at $376 vs $401, with Cheongju cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cheongju wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cheongju the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $281 in Cheongju versus $898 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $631 in Cheongju versus $615 in Taipei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cheongju – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $47.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Cheongju versus $1,384 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cheongju but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Cheongju 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, Cheongju and Taipei 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 Cheongju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.