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

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

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

Living in Hua-lien is roughly 1% more expensive than Hamamatsu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$4.93 ¥788

-17.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.61 NT$1,059

$42.10 ¥6,734

-20.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 NT$142

$3.41 ¥545

32.26%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NT$107

$3.10 ¥496

9.68%

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

$0.97 NT$30.50

$0.70 ¥113

38.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 NT$20.21

$0.82 ¥131

-21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 NT$41.32

$2.06 ¥329

-36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 NT$63.5

$2.75 ¥440

-26.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$103

$1.52 ¥243

114.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NT$56.2

$1.66 ¥266

7.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 NT$137

$4.78 ¥764

-8.79%

Eggs

$2.53 NT$79.6

$1.76 ¥281

43.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 NT$439

$9.91 ¥1,585

40.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 NT$150

$6.23 ¥997

-23.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 NT$509

$15.13 ¥2,420

6.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 NT$138

$4.14 ¥663

5.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NT$78.6

$2.04 ¥327

22.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 NT$131

$3.50 ¥560

18.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 NT$122

$4.06 ¥650

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 NT$145

$3.32 ¥531

38.25%

Onion (1kg)

$4.03 NT$127

$4.39 ¥703

-8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NT$80.7

$1.34 ¥214

91.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 NT$42.47

$0.81 ¥129

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 NT$161

$3.56 ¥570

43.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 NT$444

$9.54 ¥1,525

47.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$1.75 ¥280

21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$87.5

$2.12 ¥339

31.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 NT$26.28

$1.07 ¥171

-22.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.74 NT$1,221

$56.3 ¥9,011

-31.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 NT$106

$3.57 ¥570

-6.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 NT$22.77

$2.97 ¥475

-75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.74 NT$401

$22.02 ¥3,522

-42.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.14

$1.16 ¥186

-12.07%

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

$41.5K NT$1.3M

$20.5K ¥3.3M

102.42%

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

$29.6K NT$931.8K

$14.0K ¥2.2M

110.94%

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

$74.7 NT$2,354

$107 ¥17.1K

-30.17%

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

$33.24 NT$1,047

$9.91 ¥1,584

235.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.19 NT$794

$20.68 ¥3,308

21.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,167

$106 ¥16.9K

-64.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 NT$487

$18.96 ¥3,032

-18.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 NT$284

$13.54 ¥2,166

-33.38%

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

$779 NT$24.5K

$286 ¥45.8K

172.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K NT$489.7K

$13.9K ¥2.2M

11.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.58 NT$869

$42.03 ¥6,723

-34.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.63 NT$1,469

$27.32 ¥4,370

70.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 NT$2,216

$55.3 ¥8,840

27.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,911

$105 ¥16.8K

18.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 NT$13.8K

$377 ¥60.3K

16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 NT$8,912

$241 ¥38.6K

17.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NT$32.2K

$881 ¥140.9K

15.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 NT$23.3K

$596 ¥95.3K

24.29%

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)

$2,890 NT$91.1K

$1,231 ¥196.9K

134.81%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hamamatsu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Hua-lien and $377 in Hamamatsu. 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: $34.00 in Hua-lien vs $42.00 in Hamamatsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $297, 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,108 vs $1,097 including rent). Hamamatsu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hua-lien pays 135% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

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