Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Chiayi Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Chiayi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,160 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $1,967 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $2,774 in Chiayi.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 2% more expensive than Chiayi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 12% lower, Chiayi 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$6.67 NT$211

-39.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$40.85 NT$1,291

-16.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$5.61 NT$177

-1.78%

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$2.17 NT$68.7

42.40%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$1.12 NT$35.40

-13.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$0.79 NT$24.90

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

$1.91 NT$60.4

-13.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$3.08 NT$97.4

-11.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$3.10 NT$97.9

12.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.96 NT$61.9

2.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$3.06 NT$96.7

-14.71%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$2.93 NT$92.7

13.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$20.43 NT$646

-21.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$10.21 NT$323

-7.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$20.12 NT$636

-10.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$5.19 NT$164

18.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$2.98 NT$94.3

-14.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$2.79 NT$88.3

1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$4.10 NT$130

-2.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$2.82 NT$89.0

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$2.28 NT$72.1

-6.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$1.90 NT$60.0

-2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$1.32 NT$41.67

-9.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$4.09 NT$129

7.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

$4.66 NT$147

232.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

$1.83 NT$58.0

-6.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

$2.43 NT$76.7

1.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$0.83 NT$26.14

-1.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$39.35 NT$1,244

-32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$2.79 NT$88.3

5.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$0.41 NT$13.10

90.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$10.12 NT$320

-37.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$1.03 NT$32.65

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$38.7K NT$1.2M

-12.34%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$27.1K NT$856.1K

-5.26%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$73.3 NT$2,318

39.15%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$18.55 NT$586

35.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$24.60 NT$778

4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$37.24 NT$1,177

5.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$15.21 NT$481

-26.69%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$11.88 NT$376

-15.15%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$632 NT$20.0K

-32.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$18.4K NT$581.8K

-37.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$58.8 NT$1,859

61.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$33.12 NT$1,047

8.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$92.4 NT$2,921

-3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$123 NT$3,902

-18.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$438 NT$13.8K

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$293 NT$9,252

-3.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$1,056 NT$33.4K

-10.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$721 NT$22.8K

-5.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

$7,631 NT$241.2K

-39.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

$5,251 NT$166.0K

-39.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$2,156 NT$68.1K

-30.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

2.19

5.02%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $438 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 43% 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 Kaohsiung vs $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $382, with Chiayi 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

Kaohsiung vs Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Kaohsiung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Chiayi earns 43% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $443 in Kaohsiung versus $438 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,188 per month in Kaohsiung versus $1,160 in Chiayi – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 48% less than in Kaohsiung. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,160 in Chiayi versus $1,188 in Kaohsiung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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, Kaohsiung and Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.