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: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,105 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $1,830 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $2,556 in Hua-lien.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 8% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 12% lower, Hua-lien 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$4.03 NT$127

0.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$33.74 NT$1,067

1.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$4.58 NT$145

20.31%

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$3.38 NT$107

-8.58%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$0.96 NT$30.34

1.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$0.61 NT$19.43

16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

$1.26 NT$39.99

31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$1.96 NT$62.1

39.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$3.14 NT$99.4

11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.78 NT$56.4

12.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$4.36 NT$138

-40.14%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$2.56 NT$81.0

30.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$14.10 NT$446

13.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$4.76 NT$150

97.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$16.34 NT$517

10.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$4.53 NT$143

36.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$2.45 NT$77.4

4.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$4.12 NT$130

-31.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$3.86 NT$122

3.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$4.59 NT$145

-34.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$4.10 NT$130

-48.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$2.53 NT$80.0

-26.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$1.37 NT$43.42

-13.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$5.13 NT$162

-14.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

$14.04 NT$444

10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

$2.13 NT$67.4

-19.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

$2.87 NT$90.8

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$0.88 NT$27.79

-6.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$39.02 NT$1,234

-31.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$3.32 NT$105

-11.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$0.74 NT$23.24

5.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$12.46 NT$394

-49.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$1.07 NT$33.80

-3.74%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$42.0K NT$1.3M

-19.34%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$28.8K NT$911.6K

-11.02%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$73.9 NT$2,337

38.00%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$33.59 NT$1,062

-25.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$25.47 NT$805

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$37.74 NT$1,193

4.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$15.01 NT$475

-25.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$8.83 NT$279

14.16%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$786 NT$24.9K

-45.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$15.4K NT$488.0K

-25.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$27.58 NT$872

244.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$46.91 NT$1,483

-23.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$72.6 NT$2,293

23.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$123 NT$3,899

-18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$425 NT$13.4K

4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$285 NT$9,005

-1.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$1,032 NT$32.6K

-7.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$732 NT$23.2K

-6.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$2,930 NT$92.6K

-48.71%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $425 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 95% 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 $385 vs $358, 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 8% 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 95% 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 $425 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% 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 $1,105 in Hua-lien versus $1,188 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 8% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.