Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,193 per month in Douliu vs $1,186 in Kaohsiung, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Douliu vs $1,952 in Kaohsiung, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,766 per month in Douliu vs $2,719 in Kaohsiung, rent included.

Douliu costs about 1% more than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Douliu and Kaohsiung are more affordable than the global median – Douliu 11% lower, Kaohsiung 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 NT$128

$4.12 NT$133

-3.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.27 NT$753

$33.84 NT$1,095

-31.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 NT$184

$5.39 NT$174

5.38%

Cappuccino

$3.93 NT$127

$2.96 NT$96.0

32.77%

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

$1.13 NT$36.47

$0.98 NT$31.85

15.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.26

$0.76 NT$24.61

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 NT$109

$1.74 NT$56.2

93.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$107

$2.70 NT$87.4

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 NT$101

$3.55 NT$115

-12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.97 NT$63.9

-4.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 NT$98.5

$2.63 NT$85.1

15.59%

Eggs

$2.83 NT$91.4

$3.21 NT$104

-11.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.91 NT$644

$15.90 NT$515

25.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 NT$328

$9.50 NT$307

6.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.37 NT$659

$17.68 NT$572

15.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 NT$168

$6.13 NT$198

-15.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 NT$96.9

$2.55 NT$82.7

17.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 NT$90.8

$2.82 NT$91.2

-0.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$138

$4.03 NT$130

5.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 NT$94.9

$2.96 NT$95.8

-1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$73.9

$2.25 NT$72.9

1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NT$64.3

$1.89 NT$61.1

5.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$42.74

$1.15 NT$37.24

14.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 NT$133

$4.31 NT$139

-4.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 NT$449

$15.26 NT$494

-9.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$56.1

$1.71 NT$55.5

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$77.5

$2.56 NT$82.9

-6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$27.16

$0.88 NT$28.33

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.03 NT$1,263

$27.22 NT$881

43.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 NT$93.7

$2.86 NT$92.5

1.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.50

$0.77 NT$25.00

2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 NT$326

$6.28 NT$203

60.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.61

$1.03 NT$33.26

0.97%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$34.1K NT$1.1M

11.77%

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

$28.1K NT$909.0K

$24.9K NT$807.0K

12.65%

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

$84.5 NT$2,735

$104 NT$3,377

-19.02%

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

$18.83 NT$609

$24.88 NT$805

-24.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$801

$25.03 NT$810

-1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.63 NT$1,186

$39.26 NT$1,271

-6.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 NT$491

$11.20 NT$363

35.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 NT$387

$10.35 NT$335

15.56%

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

$643 NT$20.8K

$422 NT$13.7K

52.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$609.4K

$11.2K NT$362.3K

68.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 NT$1,911

$95.4 NT$3,088

-38.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.23 NT$1,076

$35.24 NT$1,140

-5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 NT$3,028

$88.6 NT$2,867

5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 NT$3,890

$103 NT$3,329

16.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 NT$13.9K

$437 NT$14.1K

-1.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,462

$274 NT$8,880

6.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 NT$34.0K

$933 NT$30.2K

12.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 NT$23.8K

$704 NT$22.8K

4.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,223 NT$233.8K

$4,554 NT$147.4K

58.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,904 NT$158.7K

$3,076 NT$99.6K

59.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,578 NT$83.4K

$1,502 NT$48.6K

71.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

2.3

-4.78%

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

Last update for Douliu: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Douliu versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 72% higher in Douliu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Douliu versus $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Douliu vs $383 in Kaohsiung – so Kaohsiung wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Douliu vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Douliu costs about 1% more than Kaohsiung, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,789 per month in Douliu and $1,779 in Kaohsiung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kaohsiung, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Douliu and $34.00 in Kaohsiung. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,193 in Douliu and $1,186 in Kaohsiung. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kaohsiung, where all-in costs run around $1,186, than in Douliu at $1,193. In Kaohsiung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Douliu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kaohsiung – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kaohsiung. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Douliu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.