Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiayi: $1,067 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
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Chiayi Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,067 in Chiayi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Chiayi $1,067
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,503 in Chiayi versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Chiayi $1,503
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Chiayi versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Chiayi $1,940
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 60% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 21% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 NT$157

$20.77 $20.77

-76.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 NT$1,519

$84.6 $84.6

-44.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 NT$185

$12.32 $12.32

-53.73%

Cappuccino

$3.36 NT$109

$5.63 $5.63

-40.32%

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

$0.88 NT$28.58

$3.72 $3.72

-76.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.68

$2.50 $2.50

-73.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 NT$92.4

$8.05 $8.05

-64.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 NT$123

$9.01 $9.01

-57.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$101

$1.12 $1.12

176.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 NT$66.8

$3.75 $3.75

-45.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 NT$98.6

$3.26 $3.26

-6.75%

Eggs

$2.66 NT$86.3

$4.17 $4.17

-36.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.77 NT$641

$12.90 $12.90

53.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 NT$316

$14.16 $14.16

-31.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.98 NT$680

$16.22 $16.22

29.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 NT$158

$4.33 $4.33

12.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 NT$104

$1.46 $1.46

120.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$97.0

$4.51 $4.51

-33.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 NT$148

$4.34 $4.34

4.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$90.9

$2.58 $2.58

8.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 NT$76.3

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.3

$1.78 $1.78

-5.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$37.04

$2.22 $2.22

-48.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 NT$130

$9.88 $9.88

-59.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 NT$151

$15.08 $15.08

-69.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.7

$2.92 $2.92

-43.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NT$70.8

$3.46 $3.46

-36.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.43 NT$403

$41.72 $41.72

-70.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$85.5

$2.73 $2.73

-3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 NT$14.94

$1.66 $1.66

-72.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.66 NT$313

$35.30 $35.30

-72.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.43

$0.95 $0.95

11.58%

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

$32.9K NT$1.1M

$36.0K $36.0K

-8.86%

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

$24.5K NT$795.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-9.36%

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

$66.7 NT$2,164

$229 $229

-70.85%

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

$17.52 NT$568

$59.4 $59.4

-70.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.93 NT$873

$69.9 $69.9

-61.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 NT$1,032

$57.2 $57.2

-44.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 NT$319

$14.28 $14.28

-31.09%

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

$660 NT$21.4K

$1,506 $1,506

-56.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$543.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-21.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 NT$2,020

$52.8 $52.8

17.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 NT$1,279

$43.82 $43.82

-10.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 NT$2,763

$84.8 $84.8

0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,383

$103 $103

1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 NT$12.0K

$1,907 $1,907

-80.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,194

$1,274 $1,274

-80.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,179 NT$103.1K

$7,614 $7,614

-58.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 NT$61.9K

$3,157 $3,157

-39.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,110 NT$68.4K

$5,121 $5,121

-58.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

6.79

-64.65%

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

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chiayi

$379 35.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 6.7% $25

Accommodation & Living

Chiayi

$253 23.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 404% $1K

Clothing & Footwear

Chiayi

$131 12.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 2.4% $3.1

Eating Out

Chiayi

$124 11.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 185% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiayi

$111 10.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 222% $247

Sport & Entertainment

Chiayi

$51 4.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 66.6% $34

Getting Around

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 238% $41

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 $369 in Chiayi and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 143% 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: $47.00 in Chiayi vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $405 per month, with Chiayi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

13 h behind Chiayi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,874

974,447

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Chiayi Austin, TX 12,780 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiayi
Austin, TX

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

Chiayi vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 150% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 143% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $369 in Chiayi versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,067 per month in Chiayi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 150% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 236% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,067 in Chiayi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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, Chiayi and Austin, TX 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.