Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,193 per month in Douliu vs $1,180 in Taichung, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,979 per month in Douliu vs $1,966 in Taichung, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,766 per month in Douliu vs $2,752 in Taichung, rent included.

Douliu costs about 1% more than Taichung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Douliu and Taichung are more affordable than the global median – Douliu 11% lower, Taichung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.96 NT$128

$4.99 NT$161

-20.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.27 NT$753

$30.18 NT$977

-22.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 NT$184

$5.31 NT$172

6.97%

Cappuccino

$3.93 NT$127

$2.91 NT$94.2

35.05%

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

$1.13 NT$36.47

$1.15 NT$37.31

-1.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.26

$0.84 NT$27.05

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 NT$109

$2.08 NT$67.3

62.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$107

$2.86 NT$92.7

15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 NT$101

$3.91 NT$127

-20.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.76 NT$56.9

6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 NT$98.5

$2.78 NT$89.9

9.35%

Eggs

$2.83 NT$91.4

$3.14 NT$102

-9.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.91 NT$644

$31.84 NT$1,030

-37.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 NT$328

$8.23 NT$267

23.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.37 NT$659

$15.91 NT$515

28.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 NT$168

$4.68 NT$152

10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 NT$96.9

$1.73 NT$56.0

72.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 NT$90.8

$2.23 NT$72.1

26.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$138

$3.07 NT$99.2

38.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 NT$94.9

$1.29 NT$41.80

127.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$73.9

$1.90 NT$61.6

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NT$64.3

$2.36 NT$76.5

-15.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$42.74

$1.24 NT$40.23

6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 NT$133

$3.99 NT$129

2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.87 NT$449

$15.50 NT$502

-10.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$56.1

$1.65 NT$53.6

4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$77.5

$2.67 NT$86.3

-10.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$27.16

$0.87 NT$28.29

-3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.03 NT$1,263

$28.55 NT$924

36.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 NT$93.7

$2.94 NT$95.1

-1.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.50

$1.19 NT$38.38

-33.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.08 NT$326

$10.22 NT$331

-1.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.61

$1.06 NT$34.25

-1.89%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

13.26%

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

$28.1K NT$909.0K

$26.4K NT$854.6K

6.36%

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

$84.5 NT$2,735

$95.7 NT$3,096

-11.68%

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

$18.83 NT$609

$24.69 NT$799

-23.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$801

$21.22 NT$687

16.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.63 NT$1,186

$35.41 NT$1,146

3.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 NT$491

$10.35 NT$335

46.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 NT$387

$10.85 NT$351

10.23%

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

$643 NT$20.8K

$357 NT$11.6K

79.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$609.4K

$20.8K NT$672.3K

-9.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 NT$1,911

$85.9 NT$2,781

-31.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.23 NT$1,076

$34.53 NT$1,118

-3.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 NT$3,028

$95.3 NT$3,085

-1.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 NT$3,890

$131 NT$4,234

-8.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 NT$13.9K

$377 NT$12.2K

13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,462

$281 NT$9,102

3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 NT$34.0K

$1,044 NT$33.8K

0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 NT$23.8K

$727 NT$23.5K

1.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,223 NT$233.8K

$7,208 NT$233.3K

0.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,904 NT$158.7K

$5,156 NT$166.9K

-4.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,578 NT$83.4K

$1,392 NT$45.1K

85.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

2.18

0.46%

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

Last update for Douliu: July 13, 2026

Last update for Taichung: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Douliu versus $377 in Taichung. 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 85% 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 $30.00 in Taichung. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $400 – making Douliu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Douliu costs about 1% more than Taichung, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. 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 $1,770 in Taichung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taichung, 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 $30.00 in Taichung. 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 $1,180 in Taichung. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,180, than in Douliu at $1,193. In Taichung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Douliu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taichung – 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 Taichung. 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.