Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,091 in Kaohsiung versus $1,071 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,818 in Kaohsiung versus $1,820 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,546 in Kaohsiung versus $2,569 in Hua-lien.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 2% more expensive than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 20% lower, Hua-lien 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 NT$171

$4.01 NT$128

34.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.11 NT$990

$27.86 NT$887

11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 NT$153

$4.17 NT$133

15.59%

Cappuccino

$2.76 NT$87.8

$2.71 NT$86.3

1.85%

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

$1.11 NT$35.39

$0.82 NT$26.02

35.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.14

$0.55 NT$17.52

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$48.00

$1.27 NT$40.41

18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.6

$1.75 NT$55.6

41.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 NT$102

$2.88 NT$91.7

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 NT$70.5

$1.70 NT$54.0

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$91.4

$4.58 NT$146

-37.34%

Eggs

$2.52 NT$80.1

$1.84 NT$58.7

36.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.98 NT$477

$18.51 NT$589

-19.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 NT$253

$6.23 NT$198

27.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 NT$486

$25.28 NT$805

-39.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.39 NT$204

$2.66 NT$84.7

140.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.9

$2.44 NT$77.6

11.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.4

$3.29 NT$105

-23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 NT$102

$2.97 NT$94.4

8.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 NT$85.2

$2.30 NT$73.3

16.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NT$62.2

$2.32 NT$73.8

-15.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$74.1

$2.09 NT$66.5

11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 NT$32.78

$0.90 NT$28.63

14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

$3.95 NT$126

2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$486

$12.31 NT$392

23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$50.0

$1.89 NT$60.3

-16.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NT$69.8

$2.32 NT$73.8

-5.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 NT$23.09

$0.61 NT$19.38

19.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.16 NT$387

$35.17 NT$1,120

-65.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$85.2

$3.09 NT$98.3

-13.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 NT$25.94

$0.30 NT$9.49

170.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 NT$176

$10.19 NT$324

-45.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.78

$0.93 NT$29.64

7.53%

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

$32.6K NT$1.0M

$33.2K NT$1.1M

-1.90%

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

$22.7K NT$724.3K

$26.9K NT$855.0K

-15.29%

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

$83.3 NT$2,650

$102 NT$3,252

-18.49%

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

$17.36 NT$553

$19.05 NT$606

-8.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.17 NT$833

$12.41 NT$395

110.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.15 NT$1,246

$35.67 NT$1,136

9.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.24 NT$326

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 NT$352

$10.11 NT$322

9.20%

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

$461 NT$14.7K

$734 NT$23.4K

-37.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$446.6K

$16.7K NT$531.0K

-15.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 NT$2,905

$56.2 NT$1,788

62.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 NT$1,068

$35.96 NT$1,145

-6.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 NT$2,704

$78.3 NT$2,494

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.1 NT$3,155

$104 NT$3,319

-4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 NT$12.0K

$400 NT$12.7K

-6.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 NT$8,666

$246 NT$7,831

10.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 NT$30.5K

$967 NT$30.8K

-1.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 NT$21.2K

$735 NT$23.4K

-9.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,541 NT$144.6K

$7,155 NT$227.8K

-36.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,084 NT$98.2K

$4,998 NT$159.1K

-38.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,419 NT$45.2K

$2,856 NT$90.9K

-50.33%

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: August 17, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Kaohsiung and $400 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 101% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kaohsiung vs $28.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $359, with Kaohsiung 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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Hua-lien. 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: $376 in Kaohsiung versus $400 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $31.00 in Kaohsiung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,071 in Hua-lien versus $1,091 in Kaohsiung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. 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, Kaohsiung and Hua-lien 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 2% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.