Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Tainan Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Tainan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,114 in Kaohsiung versus $1,186 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,853 in Kaohsiung versus $2,066 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,591 in Kaohsiung versus $2,945 in Tainan.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 6% less than in Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Tainan 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.61 NT$178

$4.70 NT$149

19.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.91 NT$1,011

$25.49 NT$807

25.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.78 NT$151

$4.75 NT$150

0.63%

Cappuccino

$2.83 NT$89.7

$3.26 NT$103

-13.19%

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

$1.13 NT$35.92

$1.36 NT$43.02

-16.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.23

$0.85 NT$27.02

-14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.42

$3.13 NT$99.3

-50.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 NT$78.4

$3.53 NT$112

-29.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 NT$105

$3.19 NT$101

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$71.9

$1.73 NT$54.9

31.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$95.9

$2.98 NT$94.3

1.68%

Eggs

$2.63 NT$83.4

$3.16 NT$100

-16.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.67 NT$496

$22.90 NT$725

-31.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 NT$253

$12.95 NT$410

-38.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.34 NT$486

$20.78 NT$658

-26.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.71 NT$213

$5.44 NT$172

23.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 NT$86.7

$2.81 NT$89.0

-2.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 NT$79.5

$4.84 NT$153

-48.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 NT$99.3

$7.14 NT$226

-56.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NT$89.2

$4.77 NT$151

-40.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NT$62.7

$4.49 NT$142

-55.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 NT$78.7

$3.02 NT$95.7

-17.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NT$33.05

$1.50 NT$47.51

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$128

$3.90 NT$124

3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 NT$512

$12.17 NT$385

32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.6

$2.02 NT$63.9

-17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NT$70.7

$2.34 NT$74.1

-4.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 NT$22.12

$0.66 NT$20.78

6.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.49 NT$396

$34.24 NT$1,084

-63.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$85.0

$2.65 NT$83.8

1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 NT$25.69

$0.97 NT$30.74

-16.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 NT$178

$5.75 NT$182

-2.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.62

$1.03 NT$32.49

2.91%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-9.60%

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

$23.7K NT$750.9K

$25.5K NT$808.5K

-7.12%

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

$83.9 NT$2,658

$90.7 NT$2,872

-7.45%

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

$17.53 NT$555

$17.28 NT$547

1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.14 NT$828

$21.61 NT$685

20.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.98 NT$1,266

$45.85 NT$1,452

-12.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.71 NT$339

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 NT$345

$10.79 NT$342

0.93%

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

$479 NT$15.2K

$438 NT$13.9K

9.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$444.1K

$5,477 NT$173.5K

155.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.3 NT$3,018

$94.1 NT$2,980

1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.39 NT$1,089

$46.73 NT$1,480

-26.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 NT$2,763

$118 NT$3,742

-26.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NT$3,217

$123 NT$3,908

-17.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$412 NT$13.1K

$313 NT$9,917

31.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,927

$198 NT$6,280

42.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 NT$30.9K

$866 NT$27.4K

12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 NT$21.9K

$714 NT$22.6K

-2.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,707 NT$149.1K

$4,188 NT$132.6K

12.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,136 NT$99.3K

$3,165 NT$100.2K

-0.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,444 NT$45.7K

$1,403 NT$44.5K

2.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.5

2.40%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 5, 2026

Last update for Tainan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $412 in Kaohsiung and $313 in Tainan. 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 $25.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $367 vs $461, 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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Tainan differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($1,114 vs $1,186 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: $412 in Kaohsiung versus $313 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $479 in Kaohsiung versus $438 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Tainan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,114 in Kaohsiung versus $1,186 in Tainan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Tainan. 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 Tainan 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 6% less than in Tainan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.