Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Porto Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Porto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,169 in Chiayi versus $1,860 in Porto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,949 in Chiayi versus $2,769 in Porto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,730 in Chiayi versus $3,677 in Porto.

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 37% less than in Porto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 13% below, Porto is 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.86 NT$216

$11.39 €9.80

-39.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.64 NT$1,279

$58.8 €50.6

-30.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 NT$177

$9.03 €7.77

-37.65%

Cappuccino

$2.18 NT$68.5

$2.28 €1.96

-4.39%

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

$1.16 NT$36.66

$2.15 €1.85

-46.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.31

$1.51 €1.30

-50.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 NT$58.1

$3.57 €3.07

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 NT$97.6

$3.38 €2.91

-8.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$99.5

$1.11 €0.95

184.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$59.2

$1.45 €1.25

29.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$96.2

$1.59 €1.37

92.45%

Eggs

$2.84 NT$89.5

$2.98 €2.57

-4.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.79 NT$623

$11.71 €10.07

69.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 NT$316

$7.29 €6.27

37.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.14 NT$634

$15.55 €13.38

29.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 NT$159

$2.19 €1.88

130.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 NT$93.8

$1.41 €1.21

111.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$91.0

$1.82 €1.57

58.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 NT$130

$2.44 €2.10

69.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$89.0

$1.71 €1.47

65.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$70.7

$1.92 €1.65

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.4

$1.51 €1.30

29.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.70

$0.79 €0.68

75.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 NT$127

$6.49 €5.58

-37.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.76 NT$150

$5.69 €4.90

-16.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NT$55.4

$1.18 €1.01

49.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.4

$2.33 €2.00

3.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$27.43

$2.03 €1.74

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.39 NT$1,208

$45.83 €39.43

-16.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 NT$91.3

$3.97 €3.42

-26.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 NT$12.92

$0.75 €0.65

-45.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NT$314

$17.64 €15.17

-43.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 NT$31.21

$2.04 €1.76

-51.47%

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

$38.8K NT$1.2M

$35.2K €30.3K

10.28%

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

$27.9K NT$878.1K

$38.5K €33.1K

-27.58%

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

$72.9 NT$2,294

$137 €118

-46.91%

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

$18.60 NT$585

$22.26 €19.15

-16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.38 NT$799

$44.05 €37.89

-42.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 NT$1,159

$44.92 €38.64

-18.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 NT$476

$15.83 €13.61

-4.36%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 NT$370

$9.45 €8.13

24.55%

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

$641 NT$20.2K

$519 €447

23.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K NT$601.0K

$10.7K €9,194

78.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 NT$1,875

$108 €92.8

-44.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.07 NT$1,041

$35.21 €30.29

-6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NT$2,896

$94.5 €81.3

-2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,917

$113 €96.8

10.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$13.8K

$1,168 €1,004

-62.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,199

$938 €807

-68.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 NT$32.6K

$2,258 €1,942

-54.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 NT$22.7K

$1,543 €1,328

-53.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,190 NT$257.8K

$5,425 €4,666

50.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,884 NT$153.7K

$4,043 €3,478

20.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,172 NT$68.4K

$1,663 €1,431

30.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

3.79

-42.22%

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

Last update for Chiayi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Porto: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Chiayi and $1,168 in Porto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Chiayi vs $59.0 in Porto. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $247, with Porto 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

Chiayi vs Porto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Porto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chiayi pays 31% more on average, 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: $437 in Chiayi versus $1,168 in Porto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,169 per month in Chiayi versus $1,860 in Porto – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 19% less than in Porto. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,169 in Chiayi versus $1,860 in Porto, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Porto. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,169 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiayi and Porto 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 59% less than in Porto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.