Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Malaga Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Malaga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $2,055 in Malaga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,819 in Kaohsiung versus $3,006 in Malaga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,517 in Kaohsiung versus $3,957 in Malaga.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 45% less than in Malaga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 18% below, Malaga is 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 NT$171

$17.44 €15.05

-69.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.67 NT$1,005

$69.9 €60.3

-54.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$154

$11.54 €9.96

-57.97%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.1

$2.87 €2.48

-2.09%

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

$1.08 NT$34.26

$2.83 €2.44

-61.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.98

$2.18 €1.88

-69.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.58

$3.52 €3.04

-55.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$78.2

$4.78 €4.13

-48.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 NT$101

$1.26 €1.09

152.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 NT$68.8

$1.51 €1.30

43.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.2

$1.86 €1.61

64.52%

Eggs

$2.57 NT$81.6

$3.55 €3.06

-27.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 NT$496

$15.61 €13.47

0.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 NT$252

$8.12 €7.01

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 NT$482

$15.55 €13.42

-2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.56 NT$208

$2.65 €2.29

147.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NT$87.6

$2.01 €1.74

37.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$1.83 €1.58

39.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 NT$98.0

$2.63 €2.27

17.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 NT$84.7

$1.62 €1.40

64.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NT$65.6

$2.19 €1.89

-5.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 NT$75.5

$1.30 €1.12

83.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NT$34.11

$0.68 €0.59

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 NT$133

$6.78 €5.85

-38.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 NT$503

$6.60 €5.69

140.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.8

$1.23 €1.06

34.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$71.1

$2.34 €2.02

-4.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NT$23.41

$1.66 €1.43

-55.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 NT$402

$27.71 €23.91

-54.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NT$83.4

$2.00 €1.72

31.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.00

$1.21 €1.04

-37.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 NT$176

$23.43 €20.22

-76.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.99

$1.79 €1.54

-41.90%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$37.1K €32.0K

-7.67%

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

$23.9K NT$759.4K

$30.6K €26.4K

-21.77%

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

$86.3 NT$2,739

$162 €140

-46.78%

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

$17.06 NT$541

$10.55 €9.10

61.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 NT$831

$26.94 €23.24

-2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.20 NT$1,275

$46.63 €40.24

-13.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 NT$339

$19.00 €16.40

-43.68%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 NT$357

$10.02 €8.64

12.18%

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

$465 NT$14.7K

$859 €741

-45.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K NT$455.2K

$10.8K €9,295

33.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 NT$2,941

$93.9 €81.1

-1.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.78 NT$1,072

$40.49 €34.94

-16.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 NT$2,750

$85.8 €74.0

1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,203

$109 €94.1

-7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 NT$13.0K

$1,518 €1,310

-72.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$8,899

$1,066 €920

-73.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$31.3K

$2,545 €2,196

-61.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NT$21.8K

$1,688 €1,456

-59.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,665 NT$148.0K

$5,072 €4,377

-8.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,188 NT$101.1K

$3,057 €2,637

4.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,434 NT$45.5K

$1,974 €1,704

-27.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

3.31

-22.66%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 31, 2026

Last update for Malaga: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Kaohsiung and $1,518 in Malaga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $70.0 in Malaga. Groceries flip the comparison at $362 vs $276, with Malaga 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 Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Malaga differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($1,121 vs $2,055 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Malaga. 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: $411 in Kaohsiung versus $1,518 in Malaga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Kaohsiung versus $859 in Malaga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Malaga pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $2,055 in Malaga, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Malaga 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.