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: $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $899 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Kaohsiung versus $1,651 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Kaohsiung versus $2,404 in Miaoli.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 28% more expensive than Miaoli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Miaoli 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$3.49 NT$110

15.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,065

$25.88 NT$815

30.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$174

$5.03 NT$158

10.14%

Cappuccino

$3.08 NT$96.8

$2.84 NT$89.3

8.45%

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

$1.02 NT$32.01

$1.11 NT$34.88

-8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.41

$0.69 NT$21.86

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 NT$54.1

$1.71 NT$53.7

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$2.59 NT$81.4

6.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 NT$114

$3.10 NT$97.5

16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$64.5

$1.45 NT$45.58

41.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$86.8

$2.52 NT$79.4

9.52%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$101

$2.29 NT$71.9

40.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 NT$499

$9.25 NT$291

71.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NT$285

$8.14 NT$256

11.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 NT$564

$20.58 NT$648

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$3.33 NT$105

80.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.2

$1.04 NT$32.67

148.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.1

$2.71 NT$85.2

2.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$3.05 NT$95.9

36.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.0

$2.39 NT$75.4

25.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.7

$1.90 NT$59.7

16.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$2.87 NT$90.4

-32.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.44

$0.93 NT$29.16

24.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$137

$6.46 NT$203

-32.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 NT$499

$11.19 NT$352

41.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.5

$1.85 NT$58.3

-6.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$80.0

$2.37 NT$74.5

7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.70

$0.87 NT$27.54

-5.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 NT$846

$39.63 NT$1,247

-32.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.0

$3.00 NT$94.3

-1.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.97

$0.73 NT$22.84

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 NT$188

$8.25 NT$260

-27.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.73

$1.07 NT$33.64

-2.80%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$36.6K NT$1.2M

-7.43%

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

$25.1K NT$790.9K

$26.2K NT$823.6K

-3.96%

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

$104 NT$3,265

$64.4 NT$2,027

61.06%

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

$25.58 NT$805

$28.45 NT$895

-10.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 NT$791

$18.94 NT$596

32.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 NT$1,201

$36.89 NT$1,161

3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 NT$361

$15.01 NT$473

-23.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 NT$317

$10.21 NT$321

-1.37%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$566 NT$17.8K

-23.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K NT$358.3K

$30.4K NT$958.1K

-62.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NT$2,987

$31.72 NT$999

199.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 NT$1,112

$23.77 NT$748

48.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NT$2,878

$68.8 NT$2,166

32.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,170

$103 NT$3,233

-1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$345 NT$10.9K

25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,866

$168 NT$5,279

67.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 NT$29.6K

$1,039 NT$32.7K

-9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$21.4K

$730 NT$23.0K

-6.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.5K

$2,471 NT$77.8K

-38.92%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Kaohsiung and $345 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 64% 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 $26.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $314 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 28% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $899 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Miaoli earns 64% 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: $432 in Kaohsiung versus $345 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $566 in Miaoli. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,149 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 28% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.