Cost of Living Comparison Between Incheon and Tainan Cost of Living Comparison Between Incheon and Tainan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,370 per month in Incheon vs $1,077 in Tainan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,142 per month in Incheon vs $1,884 in Tainan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Incheon vs $2,690 in Tainan, rent included.

Incheon costs about 27% more than Tainan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Incheon sits 3% above the global median, while Tainan is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.51 ₩9,688

$6.08 NT$197

7.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.68 ₩54.6K

$27.21 NT$879

34.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 ₩9,664

$4.94 NT$160

31.38%

Cappuccino

$3.58 ₩5,323

$3.48 NT$113

2.87%

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

$1.39 ₩2,070

$1.13 NT$36.39

23.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 ₩979

$0.75 NT$24.19

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 ₩4,622

$3.36 NT$109

-7.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ₩6,636

$3.45 NT$112

29.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₩3,209

$3.21 NT$104

-32.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 ₩4,686

$1.88 NT$60.6

67.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 ₩4,123

$2.87 NT$92.6

-3.48%

Eggs

$3.11 ₩4,630

$2.78 NT$89.8

11.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 ₩21.4K

$19.96 NT$645

-27.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 ₩10.2K

$10.11 NT$327

-32.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ₩19.7K

$20.25 NT$654

-34.57%

Apples (1kg)

$7.61 ₩11.3K

$4.30 NT$139

76.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 ₩4,396

$2.93 NT$94.8

0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.62 ₩8,366

$2.90 NT$93.7

93.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 ₩9,995

$4.16 NT$134

61.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 ₩5,238

$2.92 NT$94.4

20.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 ₩2,848

$2.28 NT$73.7

-16.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 ₩2,838

$1.70 NT$54.9

12.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 ₩1,967

$1.07 NT$34.55

23.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ₩4,880

$4.05 NT$131

-19.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.51 ₩24.6K

$13.52 NT$437

22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 ₩3,078

$1.75 NT$56.7

18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₩2,816

$2.35 NT$76.0

-19.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,638

$0.59 NT$18.90

86.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.27 ₩37.6K

$21.97 NT$710

15.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩5,185

$2.90 NT$93.6

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₩792

$0.79 NT$25.57

-32.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 ₩13.4K

$10.32 NT$334

-12.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,782

$1.01 NT$32.69

18.81%

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

$28.0K ₩41.7M

$38.6K NT$1.2M

-27.40%

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

$14.2K ₩21.2M

$26.4K NT$854.6K

-46.21%

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

$163 ₩242.8K

$84.6 NT$2,734

92.92%

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

$34.66 ₩51.6K

$18.51 NT$598

87.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.38 ₩30.3K

$23.10 NT$746

-11.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.40 ₩49.7K

$40.10 NT$1,296

-16.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.45 ₩55.7K

$15.06 NT$487

148.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 ₩16.3K

$11.73 NT$379

-6.65%

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

$256 ₩381.6K

$273 NT$8,820

-6.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ₩16.2M

$6,899 NT$222.9K

57.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ₩88.2K

$57.6 NT$1,860

2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.96 ₩71.4K

$30.71 NT$992

56.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 ₩98.3K

$92.6 NT$2,993

-28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ₩154.5K

$121 NT$3,922

-14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 ₩998.0K

$331 NT$10.7K

102.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ₩574.2K

$194 NT$6,264

99.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 ₩2.1M

$695 NT$22.5K

100.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 ₩1.2M

$731 NT$23.6K

8.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,055 ₩9.0M

$3,050 NT$98.6K

98.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,100 ₩7.6M

$3,037 NT$98.1K

67.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,180 ₩3.2M

$1,352 NT$43.7K

61.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

1.83

124.04%

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

Last update for Incheon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tainan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $671 in Incheon versus $331 in Tainan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 61% higher in Incheon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Incheon versus $27.00 in Tainan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $390 – making Tainan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Incheon vs Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Incheon is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,055 per month in Incheon and $1,616 in Tainan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tainan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Incheon and $27.00 in Tainan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,370 in Incheon and $1,077 in Tainan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tainan, where all-in costs run around $1,077, than in Incheon at $1,370. In Tainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Incheon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tainan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tainan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Incheon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.