Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,180 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Kaohsiung versus $1,966 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Kaohsiung versus $2,752 in Taichung.

Monthly costs are close between Kaohsiung and Taichung; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 11% lower, Taichung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 NT$133

$4.99 NT$161

-17.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,093

$30.18 NT$975

12.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$174

$5.31 NT$172

1.51%

Cappuccino

$2.96 NT$95.8

$2.91 NT$94.1

1.72%

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

$0.98 NT$31.80

$1.15 NT$37.25

-14.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.57

$0.84 NT$27.00

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 NT$56.1

$2.08 NT$67.2

-16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$87.2

$2.86 NT$92.5

-5.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 NT$115

$3.91 NT$127

-9.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$63.8

$1.76 NT$56.8

11.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$85.0

$2.78 NT$89.7

-5.40%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$104

$3.14 NT$102

2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 NT$514

$31.84 NT$1,029

-50.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NT$307

$8.23 NT$266

15.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 NT$571

$15.91 NT$514

11.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 NT$198

$4.68 NT$151

30.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NT$82.6

$1.73 NT$55.9

47.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 NT$91.0

$2.23 NT$72.0

26.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$3.07 NT$99.1

31.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 NT$95.6

$1.29 NT$41.73

129.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$72.7

$1.90 NT$61.5

18.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NT$61.0

$2.36 NT$76.4

-19.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.18

$1.24 NT$40.17

-7.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 NT$139

$3.99 NT$129

8.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$493

$15.50 NT$501

-1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$55.4

$1.65 NT$53.5

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.8

$2.67 NT$86.2

-4.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.29

$0.87 NT$28.24

1.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.22 NT$880

$28.55 NT$923

-4.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 NT$92.4

$2.94 NT$95.0

-2.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.96

$1.19 NT$38.32

-35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$203

$10.22 NT$330

-38.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.20

$1.06 NT$34.19

-2.83%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

1.33%

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

$24.9K NT$805.6K

$26.4K NT$853.2K

-5.58%

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

$104 NT$3,372

$95.7 NT$3,091

9.07%

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

$24.88 NT$804

$24.69 NT$798

0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 NT$809

$21.22 NT$686

17.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.26 NT$1,269

$35.41 NT$1,144

10.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 NT$362

$10.35 NT$334

8.21%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NT$334

$10.85 NT$351

-4.61%

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

$422 NT$13.6K

$357 NT$11.5K

18.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$361.7K

$20.8K NT$671.2K

-46.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NT$3,082

$85.9 NT$2,777

11.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 NT$1,139

$34.53 NT$1,116

2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 NT$2,863

$95.3 NT$3,079

-7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,323

$131 NT$4,227

-21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$377 NT$12.2K

15.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 NT$8,865

$281 NT$9,088

-2.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 NT$30.1K

$1,044 NT$33.7K

-10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NT$22.7K

$727 NT$23.5K

-3.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.2K

$7,208 NT$232.9K

-36.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.4K

$5,156 NT$166.6K

-40.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 NT$48.5K

$1,392 NT$45.0K

7.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

2.18

5.50%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Last update for Taichung: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Kaohsiung and $377 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 8% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $400, with Kaohsiung 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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 8% higher in Kaohsiung, 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: $437 in Kaohsiung versus $377 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Kaohsiung versus $357 in Taichung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Taichung – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $34.00 in Kaohsiung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,180 in Taichung versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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 Taichung are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Taichung wins on affordability, Kaohsiung on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.