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: $1,120 in Hua-lien versus $1,102 in Hamamatsu.

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

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

Living in Hua-lien is roughly 2% more expensive than in Hamamatsu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$134

$4.80 ¥780

-13.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.92 NT$1,095

$41.52 ¥6,745

-18.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 NT$151

$3.44 ¥559

36.05%

Cappuccino

$3.55 NT$115

$3.18 ¥517

11.64%

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

$0.97 NT$31.38

$0.67 ¥109

44.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 NT$20.69

$0.82 ¥132

-21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 NT$41.28

$2.04 ¥332

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 NT$63.5

$2.72 ¥442

-27.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$105

$1.46 ¥237

123.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NT$59.0

$1.67 ¥271

9.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 NT$146

$5.03 ¥818

-9.94%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$81.9

$1.74 ¥283

45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 NT$453

$10.10 ¥1,640

39.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 NT$152

$6.22 ¥1,010

-24.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 NT$510

$15.67 ¥2,547

0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 NT$144

$4.23 ¥688

5.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NT$78.7

$2.14 ¥348

14.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 NT$138

$3.42 ¥556

25.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 NT$127

$4.08 ¥662

-3.92%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 NT$148

$3.35 ¥544

37.01%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 NT$134

$4.15 ¥675

0.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 NT$84.8

$1.39 ¥226

89.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.78

$0.87 ¥142

52.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 NT$159

$3.37 ¥547

46.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 NT$457

$9.26 ¥1,504

52.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$72.7

$1.76 ¥285

27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NT$93.1

$2.05 ¥334

40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$26.98

$1.05 ¥171

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 NT$1,268

$56.5 ¥9,179

-30.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 NT$110

$3.37 ¥547

1.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.61

$3.00 ¥488

-73.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.61 NT$407

$21.98 ¥3,572

-42.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.31

$1.16 ¥189

-8.62%

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

$42.3K NT$1.4M

$20.4K ¥3.3M

107.14%

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

$28.7K NT$926.3K

$13.8K ¥2.2M

108.28%

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

$76.1 NT$2,455

$109 ¥17.6K

-29.90%

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

$33.70 NT$1,088

$9.86 ¥1,602

241.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.26 NT$815

$20.44 ¥3,320

23.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.01 NT$1,194

$104 ¥16.8K

-64.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.46 NT$499

$19.04 ¥3,094

-18.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 NT$293

$13.57 ¥2,204

-33.24%

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

$787 NT$25.4K

$286 ¥46.5K

175.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NT$505.5K

$13.7K ¥2.2M

13.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 NT$870

$42.33 ¥6,877

-36.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 NT$1,526

$27.42 ¥4,455

72.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 NT$2,273

$54.8 ¥8,902

28.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NT$4,084

$105 ¥17.1K

20.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$387 ¥62.9K

12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 NT$9,149

$245 ¥39.7K

15.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 NT$33.0K

$858 ¥139.3K

19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 NT$23.5K

$600 ¥97.5K

21.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,305 ¥699.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 ¥340.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,897 NT$93.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

0.95

65.26%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Dining out: $34.00 in Hua-lien vs $42.00 in Hamamatsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $301, 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,120 vs $1,102 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,680 in Hua-lien and $1,653 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: $437 in Hua-lien versus $387 in Hamamatsu. 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, 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 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.