Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Taiwan Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and Taiwan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,717 in Italy versus $1,143 in Taiwan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,624 in Italy versus $1,900 in Taiwan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,530 in Italy versus $2,656 in Taiwan.

Living in Italy is roughly 50% more expensive than Taiwan on average.

Italy (28% above) and Taiwan (15% below) straddle the global median.

Internal cost variation is higher in Italy: monthly costs span $1,170 to $2,508, compared to $899$1,494 in Taiwan. City choice carries more weight in Italy.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.44 €15.00
$5.10 NT$161
241.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.5 €68.4
$33.68 NT$1,060
135.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 €10.11
$5.37 NT$169
118.99%
Cappuccino
$2.00 €1.72
$3.24 NT$102
-38.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 €2.58
$1.05 NT$33.00
185.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.16
$0.75 NT$23.61
80.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.94 €5.11
$2.00 NT$63.0
197.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.36 €4.61
$2.66 NT$83.9
101.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 €1.41
$3.18 NT$100
-48.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.41 €2.07
$1.92 NT$60.3
25.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.99 €2.58
$3.26 NT$103
-8.28%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.41
$2.99 NT$94.3
32.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.84 €14.49
$17.67 NT$556
-4.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.43 €10.69
$9.11 NT$287
36.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.29 €17.46
$20.26 NT$638
0.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.47 €2.13
$4.95 NT$156
-50.10%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 €1.85
$2.57 NT$81.0
-16.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.65 €2.28
$2.86 NT$90.0
-7.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.40 €2.92
$3.76 NT$118
-9.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.92 €1.65
$2.95 NT$92.7
-34.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.81 €1.56
$2.32 NT$73.0
-21.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.55 €1.33
$2.17 NT$68.2
-28.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 €0.46
$1.32 NT$41.47
-59.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.79 €5.84
$4.22 NT$133
60.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.18 €6.18
$14.28 NT$450
-49.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80 €1.55
$1.72 NT$54.1
4.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 €2.08
$2.45 NT$77.2
-1.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.00 €1.72
$0.83 NT$26.19
140.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$42.35 €36.43
$39.97 NT$1,258
5.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.94 €5.11
$3.00 NT$94.4
98.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 €1.30
$0.78 NT$24.49
93.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.04 €29.28
$10.07 NT$317
238.03%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.05 €1.76
$1.01 NT$31.77
102.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K €28.2K
$36.6K NT$1.2M
-10.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.7K €29.0K
$26.7K NT$841.9K
25.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 €194
$84.7 NT$2,665
166.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.25 €11.40
$24.12 NT$759
-45.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.95 €26.62
$24.17 NT$761
28.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.7 €47.95
$39.05 NT$1,229
42.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.15 €21.63
$11.63 NT$366
116.25%
Cinema Ticket
$10.25 €8.82
$10.94 NT$344
-6.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$576 €495
$551 NT$17.3K
4.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K €8,998
$15.8K NT$497.8K
-33.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.8 €79.0
$67.0 NT$2,109
37.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.72 €35.03
$33.52 NT$1,055
21.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.0 €84.3
$91.7 NT$2,886
6.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 €112
$118 NT$3,727
10.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$860 €740
$528 NT$16.6K
62.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 €573
$365 NT$11.5K
82.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,475 €1,269
$1,199 NT$37.7K
23.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,087 €935
$854 NT$26.9K
27.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,850 €3,312
$9,308 NT$293.0K
-58.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,359 €2,029
$6,104 NT$192.1K
-61.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Italy
Taiwan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,933 €1,663
$1,740 NT$54.8K
11.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.41
2.14
106.07%

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

Last update for Italy: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taiwan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $743 in Italy, $452 in Taiwan. Capital cities: $1,325 in Rome vs $789 in Taipei.

National salary averages: $1,949 in Italy, $1,916 in Taiwan. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 64% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 139% more in Italy.

Public transport is 16% more expensive in Italy.

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
Italy vs Taiwan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Italy and Taiwan?
At $1,839 per month in Italy and $1,197 in Taiwan, there's a 54% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Taiwan is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent in Italy beats Taiwan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Italy or Taiwan?
In Taiwan, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Italy, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Italy or Taiwan?
It depends on what you're after. Taiwan wins on affordability; Italy may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Italy vs other spots: cost of living compared

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