Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Taiwan

Name: Taiwan
Address: TW

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $791 a month against $1,146 in Taiwan, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Taiwan
Learn more

Taiwan Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$791

/mo nomad

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Taiwan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $791 in China versus $1,146 in Taiwan.

China $791
Taiwan $1,146

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in China versus $1,885 in Taiwan.

China $1,251
Taiwan $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in China versus $2,625 in Taiwan.

China $1,711
Taiwan $2,625

Internal cost variation is higher in China: monthly costs span $465 to $1,222, compared to $768–$1,330 in Taiwan. City choice carries more weight in China.

Living in China costs about 31% less than in Taiwan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: China 42% lower, Taiwan 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.98 ¥19.81

$4.73 NT$153

-37.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.09 ¥147

$30.54 NT$989

-27.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 ¥34.60

$5.32 NT$172

-2.26%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.74

$2.87 NT$92.8

3.48%

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

$0.48 ¥3.19

$0.95 NT$30.87

-49.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$0.63 NT$20.54

-52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$1.79 NT$57.9

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.15

$2.43 NT$78.6

-6.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.96

$3.00 NT$97.2

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 ¥11.15

$1.87 NT$60.5

-10.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$3.04 NT$98.5

-69.74%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.73

$2.51 NT$81.2

-35.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.1

$17.94 NT$581

-25.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.28

$8.54 NT$276

-60.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 ¥75.5

$20.08 NT$650

-43.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ¥12.12

$4.69 NT$152

-61.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.69

$2.59 NT$84.0

-49.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$2.91 NT$94.1

-48.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.47

$3.68 NT$119

-65.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$2.68 NT$86.9

-73.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.16 NT$69.9

-56.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$2.12 NT$68.7

-70.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.74

$1.11 NT$36.06

-49.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.15

$3.74 NT$121

1.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 ¥80.8

$12.39 NT$401

-2.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$1.58 NT$51.2

-47.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$2.17 NT$70.3

-22.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.64 NT$20.66

-54.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.83 ¥119

$36.59 NT$1,185

-51.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$2.74 NT$88.7

-45.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$0.80 NT$25.75

-53.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ¥47.24

$9.32 NT$302

-23.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.37

$1.03 NT$33.33

22.33%

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

$19.4K ¥129.4K

$36.6K NT$1.2M

-46.80%

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

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$22.9K NT$740.4K

-23.30%

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

$54.6 ¥363

$83.2 NT$2,694

-34.42%

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

$8.73 ¥58.1

$17.05 NT$552

-48.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 ¥73.7

$23.05 NT$746

-51.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 ¥271

$35.90 NT$1,162

13.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 ¥96.4

$11.42 NT$370

26.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ¥45.12

$10.12 NT$328

-33.00%

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

$517 ¥3,438

$557 NT$18.0K

-7.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K ¥131.8K

$15.9K NT$514.1K

24.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.53 ¥310

$62.6 NT$2,028

-25.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 ¥237

$31.83 NT$1,031

12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥512

$82.1 NT$2,660

-6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 ¥534

$102 NT$3,296

-21.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,567

$506 NT$16.4K

-23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 ¥1,561

$319 NT$10.3K

-26.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ¥5,469

$1,092 NT$35.4K

-24.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 ¥3,015

$762 NT$24.7K

-40.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,697 ¥31.3K

$6,711 NT$217.3K

-30.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 ¥15.8K

$4,605 NT$149.1K

-48.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 ¥7,275

$1,709 NT$55.4K

-36.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

2.45

41.22%

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

Last update for China: October 24, 2026

Last update for Taiwan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$235 29.6%

Taiwan

$319 27.8% 35.9% $84

Groceries & Markets

China

$210 26.5%

Taiwan

$368 32.1% 75.1% $158

Clothing & Footwear

China

$108 13.6%

Taiwan

$125 10.9% 16.3% $18

Eating Out

China

$88 11.1%

Taiwan

$108 9.5% 23% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$74 9.4%

Taiwan

$123 10.8% 65.8% $49

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.9%

Taiwan

$56 4.9% 3.3% $1.8

Getting Around

China

$22 2.8%

Taiwan

$46 4% 105% $24

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $298 in China, $426 in Taiwan. Capital cities: $933 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $961 in Taipei.

National salary averages: $873 in China, $1,861 in Taiwan. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 43% higher in Taiwan.

Dining out costs 41% more in Taiwan.

Public transport is 67% more expensive in Taiwan.

Salaries are about 2.1 times higher in Taiwan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Taiwan.

Good to know

🇨🇳 China

🇹🇼 Taiwan

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

Same time as China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

23,409,323

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100 TWD = 3.09 USD

100 TWD = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.43 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 32.38 TWD (100 TWD = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 36.14 TWD (100 TWD = 2.77 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Taiwan 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

China
Taiwan

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

China vs Taiwan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $791 per month in China and $1,146 in Taiwan, China comes out about 31% cheaper. 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 cheaper in China: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $426 in Taiwan and $298 in China. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

It depends on what you’re after: China wins on affordability, while salaries, visas, language, and lifestyle can tip the balance either way.