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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,110 in Hua-lien versus $1,163 in Hamamatsu.

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

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

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 5% less than in Hamamatsu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.22 NT$133

$3.80 ¥583

11.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.44 NT$899

$44.06 ¥6,766

-35.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.36 NT$138

$4.96 ¥762

-12.10%

Cappuccino

$2.75 NT$87.0

$3.30 ¥506

-16.67%

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

$0.97 NT$30.59

$1.07 ¥164

-9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 NT$17.08

$0.78 ¥119

-30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 NT$41.65

$2.48 ¥380

-46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$66.0

$3.08 ¥474

-32.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.96 NT$93.7

$1.01 ¥155

193.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 NT$53.9

$1.70 ¥261

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 NT$147

$3.66 ¥561

27.05%

Eggs

$1.97 NT$62.3

$1.57 ¥242

25.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.60 NT$904

$11.54 ¥1,772

147.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 NT$204

$6.05 ¥929

6.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.77 NT$815

$14.48 ¥2,224

77.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 NT$83.2

$5.75 ¥884

-54.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 NT$78.1

$2.66 ¥409

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 NT$108

$2.92 ¥449

17.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 NT$101

$4.26 ¥654

-25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 NT$74.9

$2.60 ¥399

-8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 NT$76.9

$2.54 ¥390

-4.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 NT$67.4

$1.23 ¥189

73.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 NT$28.96

$0.61 ¥93.0

50.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$3.66 ¥562

8.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 NT$405

$6.42 ¥986

99.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 NT$62.7

$1.80 ¥276

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 NT$74.8

$2.02 ¥310

16.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 NT$20.84

$1.49 ¥228

-55.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.39 NT$1,309

$56.4 ¥8,664

-26.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 NT$102

$3.17 ¥486

1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 NT$10.57

$2.45 ¥377

-86.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 NT$322

$20.60 ¥3,163

-50.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 NT$30.39

$1.10 ¥168

-12.73%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$21.2K ¥3.3M

61.50%

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

$27.0K NT$852.5K

$17.8K ¥2.7M

51.64%

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

$103 NT$3,252

$132 ¥20.2K

-21.89%

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

$19.68 NT$622

$8.88 ¥1,364

121.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.51 NT$396

$31.36 ¥4,816

-60.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.10 NT$1,174

$49.84 ¥7,653

-25.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 ¥2,644

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 NT$327

$12.66 ¥1,944

-18.33%

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

$758 NT$24.0K

$635 ¥97.5K

19.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$525.1K

$14.5K ¥2.2M

14.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 NT$1,826

$62.9 ¥9,657

-8.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.41 NT$1,152

$31.68 ¥4,864

14.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 NT$2,458

$59.9 ¥9,197

29.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NT$3,430

$102 ¥15.7K

5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 NT$14.8K

$463 ¥71.0K

1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 NT$9,187

$322 ¥49.4K

-9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$31.2K

$1,051 ¥161.3K

-6.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 NT$23.7K

$720 ¥110.6K

3.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,917 NT$250.4K

$4,300 ¥660.3K

84.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,305 NT$167.8K

$1,899 ¥291.7K

179.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,878 NT$91.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

2.12

0.47%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: September 8, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $28.00 in Hua-lien vs $44.00 in Hamamatsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $285, 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

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

Hua-lien and Hamamatsu differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,110 vs $1,163 including rent). Hua-lien is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,664 in Hua-lien and $1,745 in Hamamatsu 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: $468 in Hua-lien versus $463 in Hamamatsu. 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, Hua-lien and Hamamatsu 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.