Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Taiwan Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Taiwan

Name: Taiwan
Address: TW

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in China versus $1,079 in Taiwan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in China versus $1,780 in Taiwan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,576 in China versus $2,481 in Taiwan.

Living in China costs about 33% less than in Taiwan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 48% lower, Taiwan 22% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $468 to $1,236, compared to $788–$1,376 in Taiwan. City choice carries more weight in China.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.93 ¥19.60

$4.82 NT$153

-39.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.72 ¥152

$31.88 NT$1,008

-28.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 ¥33.95

$5.47 NT$173

-7.31%

Cappuccino

$2.94 ¥19.70

$3.06 NT$96.9

-3.92%

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

$0.48 ¥3.21

$1.03 NT$32.42

-53.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.02

$0.70 NT$22.22

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 ¥7.10

$1.92 NT$60.8

-44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$2.52 NT$79.7

-10.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.99

$3.14 NT$99.4

-42.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.35

$1.96 NT$61.8

-13.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.45

$3.09 NT$97.7

-68.93%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.79

$2.65 NT$83.8

-39.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.60 ¥91.1

$18.41 NT$582

-26.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.84

$8.58 NT$271

-60.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥74.2

$20.39 NT$645

-45.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$4.83 NT$153

-62.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.74

$2.77 NT$87.6

-53.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.91

$2.91 NT$92.0

-49.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$3.84 NT$121

-66.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.82

$2.87 NT$90.8

-74.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$2.37 NT$74.9

-60.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.08

$2.18 NT$69.0

-72.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.73

$1.15 NT$36.46

-51.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 ¥24.58

$4.00 NT$126

-8.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.90 ¥79.7

$12.44 NT$393

-4.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.65 NT$52.3

-49.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.08

$2.21 NT$69.9

-25.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.65 NT$20.63

-55.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.61 ¥151

$38.61 NT$1,221

-41.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$2.81 NT$88.7

-48.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.34 ¥2.31

$0.80 NT$25.34

-57.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.27 ¥48.72

$9.70 NT$307

-25.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.26

$1.01 NT$31.90

21.78%

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

$19.5K ¥130.9K

$34.1K NT$1.1M

-42.73%

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

$17.2K ¥115.5K

$24.7K NT$782.3K

-30.27%

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

$55.5 ¥371

$86.6 NT$2,739

-35.95%

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

$8.51 ¥57.0

$17.95 NT$568

-52.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.81 ¥72.4

$24.39 NT$771

-55.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.02 ¥268

$37.66 NT$1,191

6.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.80 ¥99.1

$11.92 NT$377

24.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.73 ¥45.09

$10.27 NT$325

-34.47%

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

$454 ¥3,042

$555 NT$17.5K

-18.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.8K

$15.9K NT$501.8K

23.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.95 ¥301

$63.6 NT$2,013

-29.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.81 ¥240

$33.77 NT$1,068

6.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$83.9 NT$2,655

-8.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ¥518

$105 NT$3,315

-26.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 ¥2,581

$517 NT$16.4K

-25.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ¥1,623

$320 NT$10.1K

-24.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 ¥5,603

$1,132 NT$35.8K

-26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 ¥3,177

$801 NT$25.3K

-40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,619 ¥30.9K

$8,215 NT$259.8K

-43.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,316 ¥15.5K

$5,646 NT$178.6K

-58.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,062 ¥7,110

$1,738 NT$55.0K

-38.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

2.42

43.39%

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

Last update for China: September 5, 2026

Last update for Taiwan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $295 in China, $433 in Taiwan. Capital cities: $957 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $907 in Taipei.

National salary averages: $865 in China, $1,922 in Taiwan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 47% higher in Taiwan.

Dining out costs 52% more in Taiwan.

Public transport is 76% more expensive in Taiwan.

Salaries are 122% higher in Taiwan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Taiwan.

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

China vs Taiwan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $852 per month in China and $1,082 in Taiwan, there's a 27% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Taiwan is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Taiwan it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Taiwan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.