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: $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,077 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Kaohsiung versus $1,884 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Kaohsiung versus $2,690 in Tainan.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 10% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 11% lower, Tainan 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 NT$133

$6.08 NT$196

-32.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,092

$27.21 NT$878

24.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$174

$4.94 NT$159

9.11%

Cappuccino

$2.96 NT$95.7

$3.48 NT$112

-14.94%

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

$0.98 NT$31.76

$1.13 NT$36.34

-13.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.54

$0.75 NT$24.16

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 NT$56.0

$3.36 NT$109

-48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$87.1

$3.45 NT$111

-21.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 NT$115

$3.21 NT$104

10.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$63.7

$1.88 NT$60.5

4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$84.9

$2.87 NT$92.5

-8.36%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$104

$2.78 NT$89.7

15.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 NT$513

$19.96 NT$644

-20.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NT$307

$10.11 NT$326

-6.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 NT$571

$20.25 NT$654

-12.69%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 NT$198

$4.30 NT$139

42.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NT$82.5

$2.93 NT$94.7

-12.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 NT$90.9

$2.90 NT$93.6

-2.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$4.16 NT$134

-3.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 NT$95.5

$2.92 NT$94.3

1.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$72.6

$2.28 NT$73.6

-1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NT$61.0

$1.70 NT$54.9

11.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.14

$1.07 NT$34.51

7.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 NT$139

$4.05 NT$131

6.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$493

$13.52 NT$436

12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.75 NT$56.6

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.7

$2.35 NT$75.9

8.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.26

$0.59 NT$18.88

49.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.22 NT$879

$21.97 NT$709

23.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 NT$92.3

$2.90 NT$93.5

-1.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.93

$0.79 NT$25.54

-2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$203

$10.32 NT$333

-39.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.17

$1.01 NT$32.65

1.98%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$38.6K NT$1.2M

-11.65%

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

$24.9K NT$804.7K

$26.4K NT$853.7K

-5.73%

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

$104 NT$3,368

$84.6 NT$2,730

23.35%

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

$24.88 NT$803

$18.51 NT$597

34.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 NT$808

$23.10 NT$746

8.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.26 NT$1,267

$40.10 NT$1,294

-2.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 NT$362

$15.06 NT$486

-25.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NT$334

$11.73 NT$379

-11.76%

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

$422 NT$13.6K

$273 NT$8,810

54.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$361.3K

$6,899 NT$222.7K

62.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NT$3,079

$57.6 NT$1,858

65.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 NT$1,137

$30.71 NT$991

14.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 NT$2,859

$92.6 NT$2,989

-4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,319

$121 NT$3,917

-15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$331 NT$10.7K

31.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 NT$8,855

$194 NT$6,257

41.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 NT$30.1K

$695 NT$22.4K

34.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NT$22.7K

$731 NT$23.6K

-3.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.0K

$3,050 NT$98.5K

49.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.3K

$3,037 NT$98.0K

1.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 NT$48.5K

$1,352 NT$43.6K

11.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

1.83

25.68%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tainan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Kaohsiung and $331 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 11% 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: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $27.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $390, 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $1,077 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $331 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Kaohsiung versus $273 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.