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: $1,120 in Hua-lien versus $1,497 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Hua-lien versus $2,333 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,597 in Hua-lien versus $3,168 in Taipei.

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 25% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hua-lien is 16% below, Taipei is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$135

$6.62 NT$214

-37.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.92 NT$1,098

$39.86 NT$1,290

-14.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 NT$151

$5.59 NT$181

-16.28%

Cappuccino

$3.55 NT$115

$3.93 NT$127

-9.67%

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

$0.97 NT$31.47

$1.16 NT$37.70

-16.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 NT$20.74

$0.75 NT$24.26

-14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 NT$41.40

$3.45 NT$112

-62.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 NT$63.7

$3.45 NT$112

-42.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$105

$3.16 NT$102

3.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 NT$59.2

$1.88 NT$61.0

-2.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 NT$147

$3.03 NT$98.2

49.50%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.1

$2.85 NT$92.2

-10.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 NT$455

$20.35 NT$659

-30.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.72 NT$153

$10.12 NT$327

-53.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.79 NT$511

$20.00 NT$647

-21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 NT$144

$5.03 NT$163

-11.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NT$78.9

$2.87 NT$92.8

-14.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 NT$139

$2.90 NT$94.0

47.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 NT$127

$4.18 NT$135

-6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 NT$149

$2.86 NT$92.6

60.49%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 NT$135

$2.24 NT$72.6

85.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 NT$85.0

$1.95 NT$63.0

34.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.89

$1.31 NT$42.53

1.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.93 NT$160

$4.14 NT$134

19.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 NT$458

$13.82 NT$447

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$72.9

$1.80 NT$58.4

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NT$93.3

$2.37 NT$76.6

21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$27.06

$0.86 NT$27.84

-2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 NT$1,272

$41.26 NT$1,335

-4.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 NT$111

$2.94 NT$95.2

16.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.68

$0.74 NT$23.96

6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.61 NT$408

$10.32 NT$334

22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.41

$1.04 NT$33.53

1.92%

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

$42.3K NT$1.4M

$38.7K NT$1.3M

9.37%

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

$28.7K NT$928.9K

$27.6K NT$894.0K

3.90%

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

$76.1 NT$2,462

$86.2 NT$2,789

-11.73%

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

$33.70 NT$1,091

$18.64 NT$603

80.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.26 NT$818

$24.48 NT$792

3.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.01 NT$1,198

$41.54 NT$1,345

-10.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.46 NT$500

$13.88 NT$449

11.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 NT$293

$11.71 NT$379

-22.63%

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

$787 NT$25.5K

$643 NT$20.8K

22.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NT$506.9K

$18.8K NT$610.1K

-16.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.95 NT$872

$59.5 NT$1,926

-54.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 NT$1,530

$33.40 NT$1,081

41.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 NT$2,279

$92.9 NT$3,007

-24.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 NT$4,096

$121 NT$3,926

4.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$795 NT$25.7K

-45.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 NT$9,174

$539 NT$17.4K

-47.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 NT$33.1K

$1,651 NT$53.4K

-38.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 NT$23.6K

$1,082 NT$35.0K

-32.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K NT$415.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,600 NT$246.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,897 NT$93.8K

$1,716 NT$55.5K

68.84%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Taipei: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Hua-lien and $795 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 $360 vs $398 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 34% 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.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Hua-lien, 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: $437 in Hua-lien versus $795 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% 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 $1,120 in Hua-lien versus $1,497 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 34% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.