Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,108 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,108

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaohsiung and in Seoul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kaohsiung and in Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,108 in Kaohsiung versus $1,822 in Seoul.

Kaohsiung $1,108
Seoul $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,821 in Kaohsiung versus $2,847 in Seoul.

Kaohsiung $1,821
Seoul $2,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,535 in Kaohsiung versus $3,872 in Seoul.

Kaohsiung $2,535
Seoul $3,872

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 39% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 17% below, Seoul is 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 NT$174

$9.10 ₩12.2K

-40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.96 NT$1,020

$67.0 ₩90.0K

-52.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.87 NT$155

$7.42 ₩9,964

-34.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 NT$90.4

$4.08 ₩5,482

-30.64%

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

$1.14 NT$36.42

$1.60 ₩2,146

-28.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.77

$0.80 ₩1,081

-11.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 NT$48.87

$3.65 ₩4,898

-58.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.6

$5.94 ₩7,974

-57.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$104

$2.05 ₩2,748

58.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 NT$69.8

$3.08 ₩4,139

-28.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$98.2

$4.21 ₩5,659

-27.08%

Eggs

$2.67 NT$85.2

$3.57 ₩4,795

-25.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$515

$17.95 ₩24.1K

-10.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.08 NT$258

$10.64 ₩14.3K

-24.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 NT$486

$26.44 ₩35.5K

-42.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 NT$217

$7.42 ₩9,969

-8.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$90.1

$3.53 ₩4,743

-20.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 NT$82.0

$5.87 ₩7,884

-56.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.08 NT$98.4

$6.37 ₩8,554

-51.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 NT$90.7

$3.75 ₩5,040

-24.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 NT$65.8

$2.49 ₩3,345

-17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 NT$78.2

$2.92 ₩3,920

-16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NT$33.19

$1.15 ₩1,545

-9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 NT$145

$3.29 ₩4,418

37.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 NT$502

$18.49 ₩24.8K

-14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$53.4

$2.28 ₩3,064

-26.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$71.7

$3.28 ₩4,408

-31.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 NT$21.69

$1.14 ₩1,529

-40.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.67 NT$405

$45.47 ₩61.1K

-72.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NT$88.0

$3.48 ₩4,674

-20.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$23.99

$0.60 ₩805

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 NT$176

$8.70 ₩11.7K

-36.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.52

$1.50 ₩2,008

-32.00%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$29.1K ₩39.1M

15.54%

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

$23.0K NT$735.6K

$28.2K ₩37.9M

-18.27%

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

$84.8 NT$2,706

$209 ₩280.5K

-59.41%

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

$17.34 NT$553

$35.13 ₩47.2K

-50.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$823

$21.18 ₩28.4K

21.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 NT$1,315

$57.3 ₩77.0K

-28.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.41 NT$332

$15.89 ₩21.3K

-34.49%

Cinema Ticket

$10.96 NT$350

$11.33 ₩15.2K

-3.27%

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

$462 NT$14.8K

$1,902 ₩2.6M

-75.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K NT$449.4K

$22.5K ₩30.2M

-37.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 NT$2,983

$58.9 ₩79.1K

58.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.88 NT$1,018

$32.12 ₩43.1K

-0.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 NT$2,741

$70.1 ₩94.2K

22.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,315

$82.5 ₩110.8K

25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 NT$13.2K

$885 ₩1.2M

-53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 NT$8,812

$624 ₩837.5K

-55.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 NT$31.3K

$2,494 ₩3.3M

-60.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 NT$21.3K

$1,275 ₩1.7M

-47.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,588 NT$146.5K

$29.8K ₩40.1M

-84.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,154 NT$100.7K

$11.8K ₩15.9M

-73.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,462 NT$46.7K

$3,649 ₩4.9M

-59.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

4.08

-37.25%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 3, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$368 33.1%

Seoul

$479 26.7% 30.3% $111

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$276 24.9%

Seoul

$624 34.7% 126% $347

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$142 12.8%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 22.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$128 11.5%

Seoul

$265 14.8% 107% $137

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$112 10.1%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 63.5% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$63 5.7%

Seoul

$80 4.5% 26.7% $17

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$22 2%

Seoul

$57 3.1% 158% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $415 in Kaohsiung and $885 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 150% 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 $67.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $479 per month, with Kaohsiung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

1 h ahead of Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.92 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.81 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,506 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kaohsiung Seoul 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kaohsiung
Seoul

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Seoul differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,108 vs $1,822 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 150% lower in Seoul. 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: $415 in Kaohsiung versus $885 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $462 in Kaohsiung versus $1,902 in Seoul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,108 in Kaohsiung versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Seoul. 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 Seoul 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 64% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.