Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hsinchu and Kaohsiung

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,105 a month against $1,140 in Hsinchu, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Hsinchu despite lower rent and utilities.

55

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
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Hsinchu Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index

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Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,140

/mo nomad

Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hsinchu and in Kaohsiung

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

A single person spends $1,140 per month in Hsinchu vs $1,105 in Kaohsiung, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,140
Kaohsiung $1,105

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Hsinchu vs $1,796 in Kaohsiung, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,917
Kaohsiung $1,796

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Hsinchu vs $2,487 in Kaohsiung, rent included.

Hsinchu $2,693
Kaohsiung $2,487

Hsinchu costs about 3% more than Kaohsiung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hsinchu and Kaohsiung are more affordable than the global median – Hsinchu 16% lower, Kaohsiung 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 NT$120

$4.74 NT$155

-22.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.83 NT$907

$30.77 NT$1,003

-9.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 NT$155

$4.60 NT$150

3.26%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$97.3

$2.93 NT$95.4

2.05%

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

$0.90 NT$29.37

$1.05 NT$34.21

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.37

$0.69 NT$22.61

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 NT$61.7

$1.51 NT$49.24

25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$73.1

$2.39 NT$78.1

-6.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NT$89.7

$3.16 NT$103

-12.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 NT$52.9

$2.18 NT$71.1

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 NT$142

$2.87 NT$93.5

51.57%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$90.1

$2.54 NT$82.9

8.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$35.37 NT$1,153

$15.21 NT$496

132.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 NT$226

$8.03 NT$262

-13.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.54 NT$670

$14.77 NT$481

39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.7

$6.40 NT$209

-59.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NT$79.2

$2.79 NT$90.9

-12.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NT$106

$2.42 NT$78.8

33.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 NT$101

$3.02 NT$98.6

2.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 NT$76.9

$2.68 NT$87.4

-11.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 NT$75.4

$1.97 NT$64.4

17.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NT$63.9

$2.30 NT$74.9

-14.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NT$44.32

$1.02 NT$33.12

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 NT$127

$4.24 NT$138

-8.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 NT$394

$15.44 NT$503

-21.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 NT$61.4

$1.61 NT$52.5

16.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.6

$2.09 NT$68.0

9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 NT$16.76

$0.62 NT$20.35

-17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 NT$1,257

$12.04 NT$393

220.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 NT$97.6

$2.64 NT$86.0

13.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 NT$9.64

$0.78 NT$25.48

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.82 NT$320

$5.68 NT$185

72.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.98

$0.97 NT$31.78

4.12%

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

$34.7K NT$1.1M

$37.1K NT$1.2M

-6.52%

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

$23.6K NT$769.1K

$22.7K NT$739.4K

4.01%

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

$102 NT$3,315

$82.1 NT$2,676

23.91%

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

$19.11 NT$623

$16.89 NT$551

13.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 NT$674

$25.27 NT$824

-18.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 NT$1,664

$39.20 NT$1,278

30.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 NT$330

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 NT$335

$10.11 NT$330

1.68%

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

$735 NT$24.0K

$448 NT$14.6K

63.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K NT$531.6K

$13.7K NT$445.8K

19.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 NT$1,829

$90.0 NT$2,935

-37.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 NT$1,140

$31.24 NT$1,019

11.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 NT$2,467

$86.0 NT$2,805

-12.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,352

$99.3 NT$3,239

3.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 NT$13.6K

$430 NT$14.0K

-2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,377

$301 NT$9,806

-14.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NT$35.9K

$985 NT$32.1K

11.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 NT$24.7K

$681 NT$22.2K

11.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,930 NT$226.0K

$4,146 NT$135.2K

67.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 NT$150.7K

$2,875 NT$93.7K

60.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,398 NT$78.2K

$1,401 NT$45.7K

71.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

2.56

-16.80%

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

Last update for Hsinchu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hsinchu

$405 35.5%

Kaohsiung

$355 32.1% 12.2% $49

Accommodation & Living

Hsinchu

$257 22.5%

Kaohsiung

$301 27.2% 17.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hsinchu

$141 12.4%

Kaohsiung

$124 11.3% 12.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Hsinchu

$121 10.6%

Kaohsiung

$138 12.5% 13.7% $17

Eating Out

Hsinchu

$100 8.7%

Kaohsiung

$106 9.6% 6.6% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hsinchu

$72 6.3%

Kaohsiung

$59 5.4% 17% $12

Getting Around

Hsinchu

$45 4%

Kaohsiung

$21 1.9% 53.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Hsinchu versus $430 in Kaohsiung. 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 71% higher in Hsinchu. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Hsinchu versus $31 in Kaohsiung. Groceries tell a different story – $405 in Hsinchu vs $355 in Kaohsiung – so Kaohsiung wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

Same time as Hsinchu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

453,120

2,777,873

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Hsinchu vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hsinchu costs about 3% more than Kaohsiung, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,711 per month in Hsinchu and $1,657 in Kaohsiung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $418 in Hsinchu and $430 in Kaohsiung. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 69% less in Kaohsiung. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $735 per month in Hsinchu and $448 in Kaohsiung. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,140 in Hsinchu and $1,105 in Kaohsiung, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Kaohsiung. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hsinchu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.