Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Pingtung city Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Pingtung city

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $897 in Pingtung city.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Kaohsiung versus $1,476 in Pingtung city.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,551 in Kaohsiung versus $2,054 in Pingtung city.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 23% more expensive than in Pingtung city, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Pingtung city 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 NT$175

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 NT$1,022

$31.63 NT$1,007

1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$154

$4.74 NT$151

1.90%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.6

$2.83 NT$90.2

-0.71%

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

$1.08 NT$34.48

$0.99 NT$31.57

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.33

$0.72 NT$22.76

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$47.02

$1.55 NT$49.50

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.2

$2.51 NT$79.7

1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$3.31 NT$105

-1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$72.3

$2.26 NT$71.9

0.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.5

$2.90 NT$92.5

4.48%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.7

$2.59 NT$82.3

3.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 NT$489

$15.16 NT$483

1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NT$250

$8.00 NT$255

-1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 NT$483

$15.16 NT$482

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 NT$208

$4.44 NT$141

47.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NT$88.6

$1.96 NT$62.5

41.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.4

$1.79 NT$57.0

40.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.5

$3.13 NT$99.8

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.3

$1.24 NT$39.36

118.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$64.9

$1.95 NT$62.0

4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.9

$2.43 NT$77.4

-3.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.19

$0.90 NT$28.73

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$130

$3.76 NT$120

8.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 NT$507

$16.00 NT$509

-0.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.8

$1.63 NT$51.8

-2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$2.15 NT$68.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.72

$0.46 NT$14.59

63.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 NT$395

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.9

$2.61 NT$83.0

4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.81

$0.76 NT$24.25

2.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NT$182

$6.13 NT$195

-6.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.66

$1.04 NT$33.11

1.92%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-2.10%

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

$23.1K NT$735.7K

$23.9K NT$760.2K

-3.22%

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

$84.7 NT$2,695

$110 NT$3,510

-23.23%

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

$17.10 NT$544

$14.77 NT$470

15.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$820

$26.72 NT$851

-3.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 NT$1,293

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$329

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NT$349

$9.99 NT$318

9.61%

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

$474 NT$15.1K

$347 NT$11.0K

36.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$444.4K

$14.1K NT$447.6K

-0.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 NT$3,007

$68.7 NT$2,187

37.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 NT$1,069

$34.58 NT$1,101

-2.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 NT$2,753

$86.0 NT$2,737

0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NT$3,176

$100 NT$3,194

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NT$13.0K

$247 NT$7,876

64.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$9,042

$155 NT$4,931

83.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.8K

$730 NT$23.2K

36.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 NT$21.3K

$374 NT$11.9K

79.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,684 NT$149.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 NT$100.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,439 NT$45.8K

$1,962 NT$62.5K

-26.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.27

12.78%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Last update for Pingtung city: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kaohsiung and $247 in Pingtung city. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pingtung city pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $32.00 in Pingtung city. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $338, with Pingtung 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 Pingtung city: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Pingtung city differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $897 including rent). Pingtung city is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Pingtung city. 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: $407 in Kaohsiung versus $247 in Pingtung city. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Kaohsiung versus $347 in Pingtung city. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pingtung city – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $32.00 in Kaohsiung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $897 in Pingtung city versus $1,107 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pingtung city but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Pingtung city 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 Pingtung 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 Pingtung city gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.