Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Douliu: $1,138 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Douliu
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Douliu Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
Learn more

Taipei Living Index

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Douliu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Douliu and in Taipei

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Douliu vs $1,368 in Taipei, rent included.

Douliu $1,138
Taipei $1,368

A couple spends around $1,894 per month in Douliu vs $2,202 in Taipei, rent included.

Douliu $1,894
Taipei $2,202

A family of three spends $2,650 per month in Douliu vs $3,036 in Taipei, rent included.

Douliu $2,650
Taipei $3,036

Douliu is about 17% cheaper than Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Douliu sits 16% below the global median, while Taipei is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 NT$125

$4.60 NT$149

-16.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.40 NT$726

$47.13 NT$1,528

-52.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 NT$189

$5.58 NT$181

4.12%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NT$110

$3.45 NT$112

-1.45%

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

$0.94 NT$30.58

$0.94 NT$30.61

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.86

$0.67 NT$21.73

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$2.86 NT$92.7

-2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 NT$121

$3.70 NT$120

0.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$3.12 NT$101

-0.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NT$65.1

$1.97 NT$64.0

2.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 NT$103

$3.16 NT$103

0.32%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$89.4

$2.68 NT$86.9

2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.44 NT$631

$19.90 NT$645

-2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 NT$323

$9.85 NT$319

1.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.44 NT$695

$21.51 NT$698

-0.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 NT$155

$4.85 NT$157

-1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.29 NT$107

$3.25 NT$105

1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NT$99.9

$3.03 NT$98.2

1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 NT$141

$4.53 NT$147

-4.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NT$91.3

$2.79 NT$90.4

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.9

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.6

$1.68 NT$54.5

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.65

$1.10 NT$35.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 NT$125

$3.80 NT$123

1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 NT$469

$14.17 NT$460

2.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$52.9

$1.63 NT$53.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NT$75.0

$2.29 NT$74.3

0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.89

$0.65 NT$21.04

-6.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.53 NT$1,152

$37.88 NT$1,228

-6.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NT$86.3

$2.68 NT$86.8

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.82

$0.82 NT$26.55

-6.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.46 NT$307

$9.17 NT$297

3.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.56

$1.02 NT$32.93

0.98%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$32.8K NT$1.1M

3.59%

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

$24.0K NT$777.6K

$24.5K NT$795.1K

-2.20%

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

$86.6 NT$2,807

$87.7 NT$2,843

-1.29%

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

$17.15 NT$556

$17.28 NT$560

-0.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.79 NT$901

$27.38 NT$888

1.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.37 NT$1,179

$40.32 NT$1,308

-9.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

Cinema Ticket

$9.54 NT$309

$9.83 NT$319

-2.95%

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

$663 NT$21.5K

0.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K NT$550.7K

$16.6K NT$538.4K

2.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 NT$2,091

$62.4 NT$2,025

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.75 NT$1,321

$39.51 NT$1,281

3.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 NT$2,756

$84.5 NT$2,740

0.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NT$3,408

$106 NT$3,424

-0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 NT$13.1K

$999 NT$32.4K

-59.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,334

$473 NT$15.3K

-45.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$982 NT$31.8K

$1,565 NT$50.8K

-37.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 NT$23.7K

$948 NT$30.7K

-23.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 NT$254.1K

$11.9K NT$385.6K

-34.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,924 NT$159.7K

$7,306 NT$236.9K

-32.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,544 NT$82.5K

$1,760 NT$57.1K

44.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

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

Last update for Douliu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Douliu

$400 35.1%

Taipei

$400 29.3% 0.1% $0.6

Accommodation & Living

Douliu

$257 22.6%

Taipei

$473 34.6% 84.2% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Douliu

$133 11.7%

Taipei

$131 9.6% 1.1% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Douliu

$132 11.6%

Taipei

$132 9.7% 0.6% $0.8

Eating Out

Douliu

$117 10.3%

Taipei

$123 9% 5.3% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Douliu

$55 4.9%

Taipei

$60 4.4% 8.2% $4.6

Getting Around

Douliu

$44 3.9%

Taipei

$47 3.5% 6.2% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Douliu versus $999 in Taipei. 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 45% higher in Douliu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Douliu versus $47.00 in Taipei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $400 – making Douliu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Douliu

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Douliu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,401

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Douliu vs Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei costs about 20% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 $1,707 per month in Douliu and $2,052 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douliu, 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 $22.00 in Douliu and $47.00 in Taipei. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,138 in Douliu and $1,368 in Taipei. That's a gap of about 20%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Taipei at $1,368. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Douliu – 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 Douliu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taipei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.