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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,178 per month in Douliu vs $1,175 in Taichung, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,970 per month in Douliu vs $1,977 in Taichung, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,762 per month in Douliu vs $2,779 in Taichung, rent included.

Douliu and Taichung have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 NT$128

$5.17 NT$163

-21.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.60 NT$743

$30.14 NT$949

-21.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 NT$183

$5.48 NT$172

5.84%

Cappuccino

$3.76 NT$118

$3.03 NT$95.5

24.09%

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

$1.18 NT$37.06

$1.16 NT$36.61

1.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$22.87

$0.86 NT$27.02

-15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 NT$108

$2.19 NT$68.9

56.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 NT$108

$2.93 NT$92.4

16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.2

$3.86 NT$122

-18.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.74 NT$54.9

13.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$95.5

$2.82 NT$88.7

7.45%

Eggs

$2.95 NT$92.7

$3.27 NT$103

-9.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.24 NT$637

$31.67 NT$997

-36.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 NT$313

$8.26 NT$260

20.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 NT$642

$16.07 NT$506

26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 NT$165

$4.64 NT$146

13.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.5

$1.76 NT$55.5

61.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 NT$89.6

$2.26 NT$71.0

26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 NT$131

$2.97 NT$93.6

40.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.0

$1.27 NT$40.12

120.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$70.5

$1.97 NT$62.1

13.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NT$59.3

$2.36 NT$74.3

-20.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 NT$43.17

$1.30 NT$40.95

5.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 NT$127

$3.96 NT$125

1.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.52 NT$457

$16.23 NT$511

-10.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NT$57.3

$1.71 NT$53.8

6.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$75.4

$2.66 NT$83.7

-10.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$27.78

$0.94 NT$29.57

-6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.46 NT$1,242

$28.86 NT$908

36.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NT$89.5

$2.92 NT$92.1

-2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.63

$1.24 NT$38.97

-37.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 NT$316

$10.25 NT$323

-2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.70

$1.05 NT$33.02

1.90%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$34.5K NT$1.1M

9.00%

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

$27.2K NT$855.4K

$26.0K NT$816.9K

4.71%

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

$85.6 NT$2,695

$96.6 NT$3,042

-11.42%

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

$18.60 NT$585

$24.51 NT$771

-24.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.43 NT$800

$22.07 NT$695

15.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.14 NT$1,169

$36.44 NT$1,147

1.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.22 NT$479

$10.09 NT$318

50.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 NT$379

$10.52 NT$331

14.54%

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

$645 NT$20.3K

$355 NT$11.2K

81.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$590.5K

$20.9K NT$656.8K

-10.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 NT$1,848

$84.1 NT$2,646

-30.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 NT$1,032

$34.06 NT$1,072

-3.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 NT$2,919

$96.9 NT$3,049

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,912

$130 NT$4,092

-4.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 NT$13.6K

$379 NT$11.9K

13.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 NT$9,054

$292 NT$9,184

-1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 NT$33.1K

$1,056 NT$33.2K

-0.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 NT$22.4K

$731 NT$23.0K

-2.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,501 NT$236.1K

$7,297 NT$229.7K

2.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,325 NT$167.6K

$5,260 NT$165.6K

1.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,632 NT$82.9K

$1,420 NT$44.7K

85.41%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $431 in Douliu versus $379 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. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Douliu versus $30.00 in Taichung. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $402 – 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,767 per month in Douliu and $1,762 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 $24.00 in Douliu and $30.00 in Taichung. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Taichung. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,175, than in Douliu at $1,178. 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.