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: $1,097 in Hamamatsu versus $1,108 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,804 in Hamamatsu versus $1,874 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,511 in Hamamatsu versus $2,641 in Hua-lien.

Living in Hamamatsu costs roughly 1% less than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hamamatsu 18% lower, Hua-lien 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.93 ¥788

$4.05 NT$128

21.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.10 ¥6,734

$33.61 NT$1,059

25.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.41 ¥545

$4.51 NT$142

-24.39%

Cappuccino

$3.10 ¥496

$3.40 NT$107

-8.82%

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

$0.70 ¥113

$0.97 NT$30.50

-27.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥131

$0.64 NT$20.21

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 ¥329

$1.31 NT$41.32

57.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥440

$2.02 NT$63.5

36.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥243

$3.26 NT$103

-53.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 ¥266

$1.79 NT$56.2

-7.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 ¥764

$4.36 NT$137

9.63%

Eggs

$1.76 ¥281

$2.53 NT$79.6

-30.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ¥1,585

$13.93 NT$439

-28.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ¥997

$4.77 NT$150

30.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 ¥2,420

$16.15 NT$509

-6.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 ¥663

$4.38 NT$138

-5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ¥327

$2.49 NT$78.6

-18.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 ¥560

$4.16 NT$131

-15.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 ¥650

$3.87 NT$122

4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 ¥531

$4.59 NT$145

-27.67%

Onion (1kg)

$4.39 ¥703

$4.03 NT$127

8.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ¥214

$2.56 NT$80.7

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥129

$1.35 NT$42.47

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 ¥570

$5.10 NT$161

-30.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ¥1,525

$14.09 NT$444

-32.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥280

$2.13 NT$67.2

-17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 ¥339

$2.78 NT$87.5

-23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 ¥171

$0.83 NT$26.28

28.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.3 ¥9,011

$38.74 NT$1,221

45.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥570

$3.35 NT$106

6.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 ¥475

$0.72 NT$22.77

312.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.02 ¥3,522

$12.74 NT$401

72.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥186

$1.02 NT$32.14

13.73%

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

$20.5K ¥3.3M

$41.5K NT$1.3M

-50.60%

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

$14.0K ¥2.2M

$29.6K NT$931.8K

-52.59%

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

$107 ¥17.1K

$74.7 NT$2,354

43.20%

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

$9.91 ¥1,584

$33.24 NT$1,047

-70.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.68 ¥3,308

$25.19 NT$794

-17.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$106 ¥16.9K

$37.04 NT$1,167

185.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.96 ¥3,032

$15.45 NT$487

22.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.54 ¥2,166

$9.02 NT$284

50.11%

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

$286 ¥45.8K

$779 NT$24.5K

-63.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K ¥2.2M

$15.5K NT$489.7K

-10.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.03 ¥6,723

$27.58 NT$869

52.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.32 ¥4,370

$46.63 NT$1,469

-41.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 ¥8,840

$70.3 NT$2,216

-21.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ¥16.8K

$124 NT$3,911

-15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥60.3K

$439 NT$13.8K

-14.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ¥38.6K

$283 NT$8,912

-14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 ¥140.9K

$1,021 NT$32.2K

-13.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 ¥95.3K

$741 NT$23.3K

-19.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,856 ¥1.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,329 ¥852.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,231 ¥196.9K

$2,890 NT$91.1K

-57.41%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $377 in Hamamatsu and $439 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 135% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Hamamatsu vs $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $358, 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,097 vs $1,108 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hua-lien earns 135% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $377 in Hamamatsu versus $439 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 $1,097 in Hamamatsu versus $1,108 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 1% less than in Hua-lien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.