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: $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,122 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,899 in Kaohsiung versus $1,878 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Kaohsiung versus $2,634 in Hua-lien.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 2% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Hua-lien 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 NT$130

$4.14 NT$131

-0.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.83 NT$1,071

$34.47 NT$1,091

-1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 NT$172

$4.64 NT$147

17.03%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.8

$3.42 NT$108

-12.57%

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

$0.97 NT$30.80

$0.95 NT$29.97

2.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.94

$0.61 NT$19.22

18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.1

$1.27 NT$40.10

32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.2

$1.95 NT$61.7

43.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.43 NT$109

$3.15 NT$99.7

8.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.75 NT$55.4

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.6

$4.28 NT$136

-39.02%

Eggs

$3.30 NT$105

$2.44 NT$77.3

35.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$511

$13.80 NT$437

16.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NT$299

$4.83 NT$153

95.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 NT$556

$16.40 NT$519

7.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 NT$196

$4.44 NT$141

39.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$81.9

$2.55 NT$80.8

1.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.4

$4.06 NT$128

-29.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 NT$127

$3.83 NT$121

4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$4.41 NT$140

-34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NT$70.5

$4.00 NT$127

-44.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.6

$2.55 NT$80.6

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.74

$1.35 NT$42.64

-11.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 NT$143

$5.15 NT$163

-12.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 NT$494

$14.34 NT$454

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$2.25 NT$71.3

-25.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$81.0

$2.93 NT$92.7

-12.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.01

$0.81 NT$25.69

1.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.95 NT$853

$39.41 NT$1,247

-31.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$3.35 NT$106

-13.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.16

$0.77 NT$24.40

2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 NT$194

$12.44 NT$394

-50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.54

$1.03 NT$32.69

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

$34.9K NT$1.1M

$40.8K NT$1.3M

-14.43%

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

$25.6K NT$811.5K

$29.0K NT$919.4K

-11.74%

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

$102 NT$3,239

$75.2 NT$2,380

36.11%

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

$25.62 NT$811

$33.95 NT$1,074

-24.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 NT$794

$25.35 NT$802

-1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 NT$1,255

$36.92 NT$1,169

7.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 NT$352

$15.09 NT$477

-26.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NT$316

$8.83 NT$279

13.02%

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

$431 NT$13.7K

$806 NT$25.5K

-46.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.6K

$15.2K NT$481.2K

-24.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NT$3,083

$27.65 NT$875

252.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 NT$1,134

$46.69 NT$1,478

-23.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 NT$2,788

$70.0 NT$2,216

25.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,276

$126 NT$3,990

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 NT$14.0K

$433 NT$13.7K

2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 NT$8,843

$292 NT$9,227

-4.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.4K

$1,046 NT$33.1K

-8.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 NT$21.7K

$719 NT$22.8K

-4.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 NT$146.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 NT$102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 NT$48.5K

$2,928 NT$92.7K

-47.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

1.57

46.50%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kaohsiung and $433 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 91% 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 $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $357, with Hua-lien 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, Hua-lien earns 91% 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: $442 in Kaohsiung versus $433 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $34.00 in Kaohsiung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,122 in Hua-lien versus $1,148 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.