Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,151 in Chiayi versus $1,497 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,940 in Chiayi versus $2,333 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,729 in Chiayi versus $3,168 in Taipei.

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 23% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 14% below, Taipei is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.62 NT$214

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.40 NT$1,308

$39.86 NT$1,290

1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 NT$190

$5.59 NT$181

5.19%

Cappuccino

$2.22 NT$71.9

$3.93 NT$127

-43.51%

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

$1.14 NT$36.87

$1.16 NT$37.70

-1.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 NT$25.73

$0.75 NT$24.26

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$3.45 NT$112

-45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 NT$102

$3.45 NT$112

-8.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 NT$101

$3.16 NT$102

-0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$63.7

$1.88 NT$61.0

4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NT$102

$3.03 NT$98.2

4.29%

Eggs

$2.93 NT$94.9

$2.85 NT$92.2

2.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.43 NT$661

$20.35 NT$659

0.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 NT$320

$10.12 NT$327

-2.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.47 NT$663

$20.00 NT$647

2.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 NT$171

$5.03 NT$163

5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 NT$94.1

$2.87 NT$92.8

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$93.5

$2.90 NT$94.0

-0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 NT$137

$4.18 NT$135

1.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$91.8

$2.86 NT$92.6

-1.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 NT$70.0

$2.24 NT$72.6

-3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 NT$64.1

$1.95 NT$63.0

1.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$43.02

$1.31 NT$42.53

1.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 NT$132

$4.14 NT$134

-1.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 NT$155

$13.82 NT$447

-65.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NT$59.0

$1.80 NT$58.4

1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 NT$78.9

$2.37 NT$76.6

2.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.76

$0.86 NT$27.84

3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.14 NT$1,267

$41.26 NT$1,335

-5.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NT$91.9

$2.94 NT$95.2

-3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 NT$14.27

$0.74 NT$23.96

-40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 NT$334

$10.32 NT$334

0.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.27

$1.04 NT$33.53

-0.96%

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

$38.2K NT$1.2M

$38.7K NT$1.3M

-1.20%

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

$27.6K NT$893.5K

$27.6K NT$894.0K

-0.06%

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

$73.4 NT$2,375

$86.2 NT$2,789

-14.83%

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

$18.60 NT$602

$18.64 NT$603

-0.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.22 NT$816

$24.48 NT$792

3.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.61 NT$1,217

$41.54 NT$1,345

-9.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 NT$488

$13.88 NT$449

8.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 NT$385

$11.71 NT$379

1.62%

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

$626 NT$20.3K

$643 NT$20.8K

-2.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$607.7K

$18.8K NT$610.1K

-0.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NT$1,863

$59.5 NT$1,926

-3.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 NT$1,062

$33.40 NT$1,081

-1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 NT$2,996

$92.9 NT$3,007

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,968

$121 NT$3,926

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 NT$14.1K

$795 NT$25.7K

-45.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 NT$9,252

$539 NT$17.4K

-46.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 NT$33.2K

$1,651 NT$53.4K

-37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 NT$23.8K

$1,082 NT$35.0K

-32.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,047 NT$98.6K

$12.8K NT$415.4K

-76.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,898 NT$61.4K

$7,600 NT$246.0K

-75.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,100 NT$68.0K

$1,716 NT$55.5K

22.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

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

Last update for Chiayi: July 14, 2026

Last update for Taipei: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Chiayi and $795 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Chiayi vs $40.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $398 per month, with Chiayi cheaper across the board.

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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Chiayi, 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: $435 in Chiayi versus $795 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,151 per month in Chiayi versus $1,497 in Taipei – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 5% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,151 in Chiayi versus $1,497 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.