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: $1,163 in Hamamatsu versus $1,110 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,869 in Hamamatsu versus $1,851 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,575 in Hamamatsu versus $2,593 in Hua-lien.

Living in Hamamatsu is roughly 5% more expensive than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hamamatsu 16% lower, Hua-lien 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.80 ¥583

$4.22 NT$133

-9.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.06 ¥6,766

$28.44 NT$899

54.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 ¥762

$4.36 NT$138

13.76%

Cappuccino

$3.30 ¥506

$2.75 NT$87.0

20.00%

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

$1.07 ¥164

$0.97 NT$30.59

10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥119

$0.54 NT$17.08

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ¥380

$1.32 NT$41.65

87.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ¥474

$2.09 NT$66.0

47.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 ¥155

$2.96 NT$93.7

-65.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥261

$1.70 NT$53.9

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 ¥561

$4.65 NT$147

-21.29%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥242

$1.97 NT$62.3

-20.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 ¥1,772

$28.60 NT$904

-59.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.05 ¥929

$6.44 NT$204

-6.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 ¥2,224

$25.77 NT$815

-43.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 ¥884

$2.63 NT$83.2

118.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 ¥409

$2.47 NT$78.1

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 ¥449

$3.42 NT$108

-14.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 ¥654

$3.18 NT$101

33.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 ¥399

$2.37 NT$74.9

9.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ¥390

$2.43 NT$76.9

4.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 ¥189

$2.13 NT$67.4

-42.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥93.0

$0.92 NT$28.96

-33.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 ¥562

$3.96 NT$125

-7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 ¥986

$12.80 NT$405

-49.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥276

$1.98 NT$62.7

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ¥310

$2.36 NT$74.8

-14.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥228

$0.66 NT$20.84

125.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 ¥8,664

$41.39 NT$1,309

36.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥486

$3.22 NT$102

-1.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 ¥377

$0.33 NT$10.57

642.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.60 ¥3,163

$10.18 NT$322

102.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥168

$0.96 NT$30.39

14.58%

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

$21.2K ¥3.3M

$34.2K NT$1.1M

-38.08%

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

$17.8K ¥2.7M

$27.0K NT$852.5K

-34.05%

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

$132 ¥20.2K

$103 NT$3,252

28.03%

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

$8.88 ¥1,364

$19.68 NT$622

-54.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.36 ¥4,816

$12.51 NT$396

150.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.84 ¥7,653

$37.10 NT$1,174

34.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 ¥2,644

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 ¥1,944

$10.34 NT$327

22.44%

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

$635 ¥97.5K

$758 NT$24.0K

-16.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ¥2.2M

$16.6K NT$525.1K

-12.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ¥9,657

$57.7 NT$1,826

8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.68 ¥4,864

$36.41 NT$1,152

-12.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 ¥9,197

$77.7 NT$2,458

-22.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ¥15.7K

$108 NT$3,430

-5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 ¥71.0K

$468 NT$14.8K

-1.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 ¥49.4K

$290 NT$9,187

10.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 ¥161.3K

$985 NT$31.2K

6.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 ¥110.6K

$748 NT$23.7K

-3.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,300 ¥660.3K

$7,917 NT$250.4K

-45.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,899 ¥291.7K

$5,305 NT$167.8K

-64.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,878 NT$91.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.12

2.13

-0.47%

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

Last update for Hamamatsu: September 5, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Hamamatsu and $468 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Hamamatsu vs $28.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $398, 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,163 vs $1,110 including rent). Hua-lien is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,745 in Hamamatsu and $1,664 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: $463 in Hamamatsu versus $468 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hamamatsu pay roughly 40% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $44.00 in Hamamatsu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,110 in Hua-lien versus $1,163 in Hamamatsu, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Hamamatsu. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Hamamatsu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.