Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Miaoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Miaoli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $888 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Kaohsiung versus $1,619 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Kaohsiung versus $2,351 in Miaoli.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 34% more expensive than in Miaoli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 11% lower, Miaoli 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 NT$133

$3.29 NT$106

25.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,092

$24.96 NT$806

35.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$174

$4.98 NT$161

8.23%

Cappuccino

$2.96 NT$95.7

$2.79 NT$90.0

6.09%

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

$0.98 NT$31.76

$1.17 NT$37.67

-16.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.54

$0.75 NT$24.11

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 NT$56.0

$1.64 NT$52.9

6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$87.1

$2.59 NT$83.7

4.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 NT$115

$2.93 NT$94.7

21.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$63.7

$1.39 NT$44.88

41.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$84.9

$2.40 NT$77.6

9.58%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$104

$2.21 NT$71.2

45.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 NT$513

$9.19 NT$297

73.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NT$307

$8.07 NT$260

17.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 NT$571

$20.70 NT$668

-14.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 NT$198

$3.29 NT$106

86.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NT$82.5

$1.04 NT$33.52

145.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 NT$90.9

$2.72 NT$87.8

3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$3.00 NT$97.0

34.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 NT$95.5

$2.34 NT$75.6

26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$72.6

$1.90 NT$61.5

18.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NT$61.0

$2.97 NT$96.0

-36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.14

$0.91 NT$29.48

26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 NT$139

$6.62 NT$214

-34.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$493

$11.02 NT$356

38.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.75 NT$56.5

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.7

$2.34 NT$75.7

9.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.26

$0.87 NT$28.18

1.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.22 NT$879

$38.24 NT$1,234

-28.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 NT$92.3

$3.10 NT$100.0

-7.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.93

$0.79 NT$25.49

-2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$203

$8.02 NT$259

-21.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.17

$1.06 NT$34.09

-2.83%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-7.65%

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

$24.9K NT$804.7K

$26.8K NT$865.6K

-7.04%

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

$104 NT$3,368

$64.7 NT$2,089

61.21%

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

$24.88 NT$803

$28.54 NT$921

-12.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 NT$808

$19.44 NT$627

28.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.26 NT$1,267

$37.32 NT$1,204

5.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 NT$362

$15.02 NT$485

-25.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NT$334

$10.27 NT$332

0.78%

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

$422 NT$13.6K

$584 NT$18.8K

-27.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$361.3K

$30.1K NT$971.8K

-62.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NT$3,079

$31.87 NT$1,029

199.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 NT$1,137

$24.09 NT$778

46.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 NT$2,859

$66.7 NT$2,153

32.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,319

$101 NT$3,248

2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$335 NT$10.8K

30.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 NT$8,855

$173 NT$5,571

58.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 NT$30.1K

$1,021 NT$33.0K

-8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NT$22.7K

$740 NT$23.9K

-4.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 NT$48.5K

$2,442 NT$78.8K

-38.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

15.00%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Kaohsiung and $335 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 63% 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 $25.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $309 per month, with Miaoli cheaper across the board.

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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Miaoli differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $888 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Miaoli. 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: $437 in Kaohsiung versus $335 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Kaohsiung versus $584 in Miaoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Miaoli versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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 Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.