Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Hsinchu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,105 a month against $1,140 in Hsinchu, rent and utilities included – about $420 less a year. The total is higher in Hsinchu despite lower rent and utilities.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
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Hsinchu Living Index

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Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,105

/mo nomad

Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaohsiung and in Hsinchu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kaohsiung and in Hsinchu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,105 per month in Kaohsiung vs $1,140 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Kaohsiung $1,105
Hsinchu $1,140

A couple spends around $1,796 per month in Kaohsiung vs $1,917 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Kaohsiung $1,796
Hsinchu $1,917

A family of three spends $2,487 per month in Kaohsiung vs $2,693 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Kaohsiung $2,487
Hsinchu $2,693

Kaohsiung is about 3% cheaper than Hsinchu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kaohsiung and Hsinchu are more affordable than the global median – Kaohsiung 19% lower, Hsinchu 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 NT$155

$3.67 NT$120

29.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.77 NT$1,003

$27.83 NT$907

10.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$150

$4.75 NT$155

-3.16%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$95.4

$2.99 NT$97.3

-2.01%

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

$1.05 NT$34.21

$0.90 NT$29.37

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.61

$0.66 NT$21.37

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$49.24

$1.89 NT$61.7

-20.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$78.1

$2.24 NT$73.1

6.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$103

$2.75 NT$89.7

14.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NT$71.1

$1.62 NT$52.9

34.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$93.5

$4.35 NT$142

-34.02%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.9

$2.76 NT$90.1

-7.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NT$496

$35.37 NT$1,153

-57.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NT$262

$6.92 NT$226

16.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 NT$481

$20.54 NT$670

-28.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 NT$209

$2.60 NT$84.7

146.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.9

$2.43 NT$79.2

14.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 NT$78.8

$3.24 NT$106

-25.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.6

$3.10 NT$101

-2.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 NT$87.4

$2.36 NT$76.9

13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$64.4

$2.31 NT$75.4

-14.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$74.9

$1.96 NT$63.9

17.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 NT$33.12

$1.36 NT$44.32

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 NT$138

$3.90 NT$127

8.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 NT$503

$12.08 NT$394

27.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 NT$52.5

$1.88 NT$61.4

-14.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$68.0

$2.29 NT$74.6

-8.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$20.35

$0.51 NT$16.76

21.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.04 NT$393

$38.54 NT$1,257

-68.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$86.0

$2.99 NT$97.6

-11.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$25.48

$0.30 NT$9.64

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 NT$185

$9.82 NT$320

-42.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 NT$31.78

$1.01 NT$32.98

-3.96%

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

$37.1K NT$1.2M

$34.7K NT$1.1M

6.97%

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

$22.7K NT$739.4K

$23.6K NT$769.1K

-3.86%

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

$82.1 NT$2,676

$102 NT$3,315

-19.29%

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

$16.89 NT$551

$19.11 NT$623

-11.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 NT$824

$20.66 NT$674

22.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 NT$1,278

$51.0 NT$1,664

-23.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 NT$330

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$330

$10.28 NT$335

-1.65%

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

$448 NT$14.6K

$735 NT$24.0K

-38.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K NT$445.8K

$16.3K NT$531.6K

-16.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 NT$2,935

$56.1 NT$1,829

60.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.24 NT$1,019

$34.95 NT$1,140

-10.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 NT$2,805

$75.7 NT$2,467

13.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 NT$3,239

$103 NT$3,352

-3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 NT$14.0K

$418 NT$13.6K

2.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 NT$9,806

$257 NT$8,377

17.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$32.1K

$1,100 NT$35.9K

-10.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$22.2K

$756 NT$24.7K

-10.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,146 NT$135.2K

$6,930 NT$226.0K

-40.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,875 NT$93.7K

$4,621 NT$150.7K

-37.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 NT$45.7K

$2,398 NT$78.2K

-41.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.13

20.19%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hsinchu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$355 32.1%

Hsinchu

$405 35.5% 13.9% $49

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$301 27.2%

Hsinchu

$257 22.5% 14.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$138 12.5%

Hsinchu

$121 10.6% 12.1% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$124 11.3%

Hsinchu

$141 12.4% 13.9% $17

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$106 9.6%

Hsinchu

$100 8.7% 6.2% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$59 5.4%

Hsinchu

$72 6.3% 20.5% $12

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$21 1.9%

Hsinchu

$45 4% 114% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in Kaohsiung versus $418 in Hsinchu. 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 71% higher in Hsinchu. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Kaohsiung versus $28 in Hsinchu. Groceries tell a different story – $355 in Kaohsiung vs $405 in Hsinchu – so Kaohsiung wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

Same time as Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

453,120

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Hsinchu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hsinchu costs about 3% more than Kaohsiung, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,657 per month in Kaohsiung and $1,711 in Hsinchu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $430 in Kaohsiung and $418 in Hsinchu. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 69% less in Kaohsiung. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $448 per month in Kaohsiung and $735 in Hsinchu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,105 in Kaohsiung and $1,140 in Hsinchu, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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