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: $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $1,148 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,819 in Kaohsiung versus $1,904 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,517 in Kaohsiung versus $2,659 in Taichung.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 2% less than in Taichung, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 18% lower, Taichung 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 NT$171

$4.83 NT$153

11.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.67 NT$1,005

$32.11 NT$1,019

-1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$154

$4.78 NT$152

1.46%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.1

$2.74 NT$87.1

2.55%

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

$1.08 NT$34.26

$0.99 NT$31.36

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.98

$0.76 NT$24.16

-13.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.58

$1.60 NT$50.7

-2.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$78.2

$2.85 NT$90.6

-13.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 NT$101

$3.17 NT$101

0.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 NT$68.8

$1.76 NT$56.0

23.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.2

$2.67 NT$84.6

14.61%

Eggs

$2.57 NT$81.6

$2.50 NT$79.4

2.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 NT$496

$28.55 NT$906

-45.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 NT$252

$7.72 NT$245

2.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 NT$482

$16.58 NT$526

-8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.56 NT$208

$4.19 NT$133

56.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NT$87.6

$1.96 NT$62.3

40.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$1.85 NT$58.8

38.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 NT$98.0

$2.24 NT$71.0

37.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 NT$84.7

$1.24 NT$39.48

115.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NT$65.6

$1.92 NT$60.9

7.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 NT$75.5

$2.41 NT$76.4

-1.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NT$34.11

$0.90 NT$28.40

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 NT$133

$3.85 NT$122

8.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 NT$503

$16.07 NT$510

-1.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.8

$1.62 NT$51.4

2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$71.1

$2.48 NT$78.7

-9.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NT$23.41

$0.74 NT$23.43

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 NT$402

$31.80 NT$1,009

-60.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NT$83.4

$2.62 NT$83.1

0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.00

$0.93 NT$29.63

-18.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 NT$176

$9.67 NT$307

-42.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.99

$1.05 NT$33.47

-0.95%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$33.3K NT$1.1M

2.65%

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

$23.9K NT$759.4K

$23.3K NT$739.5K

2.69%

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

$86.3 NT$2,739

$110 NT$3,480

-21.29%

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

$17.06 NT$541

$15.30 NT$485

11.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 NT$831

$20.93 NT$664

25.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.20 NT$1,275

$32.98 NT$1,046

21.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 NT$339

$13.13 NT$417

-18.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 NT$357

$10.01 NT$318

12.29%

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

$465 NT$14.7K

$336 NT$10.7K

38.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K NT$455.2K

$16.8K NT$534.0K

-14.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 NT$2,941

$67.9 NT$2,155

36.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.78 NT$1,072

$36.17 NT$1,147

-6.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 NT$2,750

$85.6 NT$2,715

1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,203

$109 NT$3,465

-7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 NT$13.0K

$401 NT$12.7K

2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$8,899

$283 NT$8,979

-0.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$31.3K

$1,237 NT$39.2K

-20.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NT$21.8K

$747 NT$23.7K

-7.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,665 NT$148.0K

$7,108 NT$225.5K

-34.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,188 NT$101.1K

$5,222 NT$165.7K

-38.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,434 NT$45.5K

$1,393 NT$44.2K

2.98%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Taichung: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Kaohsiung and $401 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 3% 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 Taichung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $369 per month, with Kaohsiung 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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Taichung differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,121 vs $1,148 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $411 in Kaohsiung versus $401 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Kaohsiung versus $336 in Taichung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Taichung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $1,148 in Taichung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Taichung. 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 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.

Expats usually find Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.