Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and New Taipei City Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and New Taipei City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,362 in New Taipei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $2,269 in New Taipei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $3,175 in New Taipei City.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 13% less than in New Taipei City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 12% below, New Taipei City is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$5.04 NT$159

-19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$34.47 NT$1,090

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$5.84 NT$185

-5.65%

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$2.92 NT$92.4

5.82%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$0.94 NT$29.73

3.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$0.73 NT$23.22

-2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

$2.04 NT$64.4

-18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$2.64 NT$83.4

3.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$3.21 NT$101

9.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.91 NT$60.4

4.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$3.03 NT$95.9

-13.86%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$2.99 NT$94.5

11.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$20.14 NT$637

-20.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$8.84 NT$279

6.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$19.89 NT$629

-9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$4.53 NT$143

36.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$2.57 NT$81.3

-0.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$2.67 NT$84.3

6.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$4.25 NT$134

-6.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$2.85 NT$90.1

5.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$2.28 NT$72.2

-6.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$2.03 NT$64.2

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$1.28 NT$40.54

-7.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$4.11 NT$130

6.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

$9.12 NT$288

70.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

$1.66 NT$52.5

3.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

$2.44 NT$77.0

0.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$0.65 NT$20.66

26.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$41.25 NT$1,304

-35.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$2.80 NT$88.4

5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$0.72 NT$22.86

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$10.19 NT$322

-38.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$1.07 NT$33.95

-3.74%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$37.8K NT$1.2M

-10.39%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$27.2K NT$858.9K

-5.57%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$97.4 NT$3,079

4.72%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$24.30 NT$768

3.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$24.30 NT$768

5.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$39.91 NT$1,262

-1.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$16.82 NT$532

-33.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$11.99 NT$379

-15.93%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$625 NT$19.7K

-31.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$19.0K NT$601.9K

-39.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$76.6 NT$2,420

24.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$34.58 NT$1,093

4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$91.8 NT$2,901

-2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$122 NT$3,843

-16.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$653 NT$20.6K

-32.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$464 NT$14.7K

-39.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$1,693 NT$53.5K

-43.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$1,074 NT$34.0K

-36.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

$12.7K NT$402.2K

-63.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

$7,441 NT$235.2K

-57.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$1,400 NT$44.3K

7.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

2.19

5.02%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Last update for New Taipei City: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $653 in New Taipei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 7% 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 New Taipei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $378, with New Taipei City 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 New Taipei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and New Taipei City differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,188 vs $1,362 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 7% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $443 in Kaohsiung versus $653 in New Taipei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Kaohsiung versus $625 in New Taipei City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in New Taipei City pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,362 in New Taipei City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in New Taipei City. 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 New Taipei City 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 15% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.