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: $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,175 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Kaohsiung versus $1,977 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Kaohsiung versus $2,779 in Taichung.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 2% less than in Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Taichung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$5.17 NT$163

-22.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,065

$30.14 NT$949

12.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$174

$5.48 NT$172

1.09%

Cappuccino

$3.08 NT$96.8

$3.03 NT$95.5

1.65%

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

$1.02 NT$32.01

$1.16 NT$36.61

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.41

$0.86 NT$27.02

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 NT$54.1

$2.19 NT$68.9

-21.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$2.93 NT$92.4

-5.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 NT$114

$3.86 NT$122

-6.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$64.5

$1.74 NT$54.9

17.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$86.8

$2.82 NT$88.7

-2.13%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$101

$3.27 NT$103

-1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 NT$499

$31.67 NT$997

-49.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NT$285

$8.26 NT$260

9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 NT$564

$16.07 NT$506

11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$4.64 NT$146

29.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.2

$1.76 NT$55.5

46.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.1

$2.26 NT$71.0

22.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$2.97 NT$93.6

39.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.0

$1.27 NT$40.12

135.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.7

$1.97 NT$62.1

12.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$2.36 NT$74.3

-17.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.44

$1.30 NT$40.95

-10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$137

$3.96 NT$125

9.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 NT$499

$16.23 NT$511

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.5

$1.71 NT$53.8

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$80.0

$2.66 NT$83.7

-4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.70

$0.94 NT$29.57

-12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 NT$846

$28.86 NT$908

-6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.0

$2.92 NT$92.1

1.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.97

$1.24 NT$38.97

-41.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 NT$188

$10.25 NT$323

-41.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.73

$1.05 NT$33.02

-0.95%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$34.5K NT$1.1M

-1.92%

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

$25.1K NT$790.9K

$26.0K NT$816.9K

-3.18%

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

$104 NT$3,265

$96.6 NT$3,042

7.33%

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

$25.58 NT$805

$24.51 NT$771

4.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 NT$791

$22.07 NT$695

13.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 NT$1,201

$36.44 NT$1,147

4.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 NT$361

$10.09 NT$318

13.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 NT$317

$10.52 NT$331

-4.28%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$355 NT$11.2K

21.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K NT$358.3K

$20.9K NT$656.8K

-45.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NT$2,987

$84.1 NT$2,646

12.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 NT$1,112

$34.06 NT$1,072

3.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NT$2,878

$96.9 NT$3,049

-5.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,170

$130 NT$4,092

-22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$379 NT$11.9K

14.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,866

$292 NT$9,184

-3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 NT$29.6K

$1,056 NT$33.2K

-10.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$21.4K

$731 NT$23.0K

-6.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.8K

$7,297 NT$229.7K

-35.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.1K

$5,260 NT$165.6K

-37.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.5K

$1,420 NT$44.7K

6.31%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Kaohsiung and $379 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 6% 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 $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $402, 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

Kaohsiung and Taichung differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $1,175 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 6% 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: $432 in Kaohsiung versus $379 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $355 in Taichung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Taichung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,175 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.