Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamamatsu and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamamatsu and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Hamamatsu versus $1,120 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,828 in Hamamatsu versus $1,858 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,554 in Hamamatsu versus $2,597 in Hua-lien.

Living in Hamamatsu costs roughly 2% less than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hamamatsu 17% lower, Hua-lien 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 ¥780

$4.16 NT$134

15.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.52 ¥6,747

$33.92 NT$1,096

22.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 ¥560

$4.68 NT$151

-26.50%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ¥517

$3.55 NT$115

-10.42%

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

$0.67 ¥109

$0.97 NT$31.42

-30.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥132

$0.64 NT$20.71

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 ¥332

$1.28 NT$41.33

59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ¥443

$1.97 NT$63.6

38.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 ¥237

$3.26 NT$105

-55.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 ¥272

$1.83 NT$59.1

-8.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.03 ¥818

$4.53 NT$146

11.04%

Eggs

$1.74 ¥283

$2.54 NT$82.0

-31.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 ¥1,641

$14.05 NT$454

-28.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 ¥1,011

$4.72 NT$153

31.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 ¥2,547

$15.79 NT$510

-0.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.23 ¥688

$4.45 NT$144

-4.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 ¥348

$2.44 NT$78.8

-12.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 ¥556

$4.29 NT$139

-20.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ¥662

$3.92 NT$127

4.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 ¥544

$4.59 NT$148

-27.02%

Onion (1kg)

$4.15 ¥675

$4.16 NT$135

-0.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ¥226

$2.63 NT$84.9

-47.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥142

$1.33 NT$42.82

-34.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ¥547

$4.93 NT$159

-31.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 ¥1,504

$14.15 NT$457

-34.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥285

$2.25 NT$72.8

-21.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥334

$2.88 NT$93.2

-28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ¥171

$0.84 NT$27.01

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.5 ¥9,182

$39.30 NT$1,270

43.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 ¥547

$3.42 NT$111

-1.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 ¥488

$0.79 NT$25.64

279.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.98 ¥3,573

$12.61 NT$407

74.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥189

$1.06 NT$34.35

9.43%

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

$20.4K ¥3.3M

$42.3K NT$1.4M

-51.72%

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

$13.8K ¥2.2M

$28.7K NT$927.3K

-51.99%

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

$109 ¥17.6K

$76.1 NT$2,458

42.65%

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

$9.86 ¥1,603

$33.70 NT$1,089

-70.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.44 ¥3,321

$25.26 NT$816

-19.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 ¥16.8K

$37.01 NT$1,196

180.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 ¥3,095

$15.46 NT$500

23.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 ¥2,205

$9.06 NT$293

49.78%

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

$286 ¥46.5K

$787 NT$25.4K

-63.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K ¥2.2M

$15.7K NT$506.1K

-12.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.33 ¥6,879

$26.95 NT$871

57.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.42 ¥4,456

$47.29 NT$1,528

-42.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 ¥8,904

$70.4 NT$2,275

-22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥17.1K

$127 NT$4,089

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ¥62.9K

$437 NT$14.1K

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 ¥39.7K

$283 NT$9,159

-13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 ¥139.4K

$1,023 NT$33.0K

-16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 ¥97.5K

$728 NT$23.5K

-17.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,305 ¥699.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 ¥340.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,897 NT$93.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

0.95

1.57

-39.49%

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

Last update for Hamamatsu: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Hamamatsu and $437 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Hamamatsu vs $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $301 vs $360, with Hamamatsu cheaper for home cooking.

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

Hamamatsu vs Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamamatsu and Hua-lien differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,102 vs $1,120 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,653 in Hamamatsu and $1,680 in Hua-lien to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Hamamatsu versus $437 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Hua-lien. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamamatsu – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $34.00 in Hua-lien. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,102 in Hamamatsu versus $1,120 in Hua-lien, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hamamatsu but tight or insufficient in Hua-lien. The gap between the two cities makes Hamamatsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hamamatsu and Hua-lien are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hamamatsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Hua-lien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.