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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $1,494 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,874 in Hua-lien versus $2,394 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,641 in Hua-lien versus $3,295 in Taipei.

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 26% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hua-lien is 17% below, Taipei is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$127

$6.64 NT$209

-39.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.61 NT$1,058

$40.45 NT$1,273

-16.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 NT$142

$5.79 NT$182

-22.11%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NT$107

$3.75 NT$118

-9.33%

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

$0.97 NT$30.47

$1.13 NT$35.42

-14.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 NT$20.19

$0.72 NT$22.75

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 NT$41.28

$3.31 NT$104

-60.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 NT$63.5

$3.30 NT$104

-38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$102

$3.12 NT$98.2

4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NT$56.2

$1.98 NT$62.3

-9.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 NT$137

$3.07 NT$96.5

42.02%

Eggs

$2.53 NT$79.5

$2.91 NT$91.7

-13.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 NT$439

$19.73 NT$621

-29.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 NT$150

$9.90 NT$311

-51.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 NT$508

$20.36 NT$641

-20.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 NT$138

$5.15 NT$162

-14.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NT$78.5

$2.92 NT$91.8

-14.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 NT$131

$2.89 NT$90.8

43.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 NT$122

$4.26 NT$134

-9.15%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 NT$145

$2.79 NT$88.0

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.03 NT$127

$2.19 NT$69.1

84.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NT$80.6

$1.97 NT$62.1

29.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 NT$42.43

$1.39 NT$43.72

-2.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 NT$160

$4.00 NT$126

27.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 NT$443

$14.48 NT$456

-2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 NT$67.1

$1.75 NT$55.1

21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$87.4

$2.42 NT$76.2

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 NT$26.25

$0.89 NT$28.05

-6.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.74 NT$1,220

$41.16 NT$1,296

-5.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 NT$106

$2.91 NT$91.6

15.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 NT$22.75

$0.79 NT$24.94

-8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.74 NT$401

$10.05 NT$316

26.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.11

$1.07 NT$33.63

-4.67%

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

$41.5K NT$1.3M

$38.1K NT$1.2M

8.77%

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

$29.6K NT$931.0K

$27.9K NT$877.6K

6.08%

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

$74.7 NT$2,352

$84.9 NT$2,672

-11.98%

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

$33.24 NT$1,046

$18.69 NT$588

77.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.19 NT$793

$24.75 NT$779

1.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,166

$42.03 NT$1,323

-11.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 NT$486

$14.06 NT$443

9.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 NT$284

$11.84 NT$373

-23.82%

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

$779 NT$24.5K

$626 NT$19.7K

24.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K NT$489.3K

$18.6K NT$586.5K

-16.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.58 NT$868

$58.9 NT$1,855

-53.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.63 NT$1,468

$34.01 NT$1,071

37.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 NT$2,214

$95.1 NT$2,995

-26.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,908

$124 NT$3,891

0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 NT$13.8K

$789 NT$24.8K

-44.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 NT$8,904

$541 NT$17.0K

-47.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NT$32.1K

$1,667 NT$52.5K

-38.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 NT$23.3K

$1,113 NT$35.0K

-33.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$430.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,890 NT$91.0K

$1,713 NT$53.9K

68.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

2.19

-28.31%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Hua-lien and $789 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Hua-lien vs $40.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $401 per month, with Hua-lien cheaper across the board.

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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Hua-lien pays 69% 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 $789 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $1,494 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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 Taipei 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 35% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.