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: $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,074 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Kaohsiung versus $1,873 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Kaohsiung versus $2,672 in Tainan.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 7% more expensive than Tainan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Tainan 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$6.12 NT$193

-34.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,066

$26.69 NT$841

26.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$174

$5.11 NT$161

8.41%

Cappuccino

$3.08 NT$96.9

$3.50 NT$110

-12.00%

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

$1.02 NT$32.04

$1.12 NT$35.27

-8.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.43

$0.79 NT$24.77

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 NT$54.1

$3.30 NT$104

-47.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$3.35 NT$105

-17.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 NT$114

$3.15 NT$99.3

14.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$64.6

$1.92 NT$60.4

6.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$86.9

$3.02 NT$95.0

-8.61%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$101

$2.85 NT$89.7

12.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 NT$499

$19.81 NT$624

-19.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NT$285

$9.98 NT$315

-9.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 NT$565

$20.31 NT$640

-11.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$4.33 NT$137

38.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.3

$2.82 NT$88.8

-8.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$2.87 NT$90.3

-3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$4.27 NT$135

-2.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.1

$2.87 NT$90.4

4.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.8

$2.21 NT$69.5

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$1.68 NT$52.8

15.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.47

$1.06 NT$33.30

9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$137

$4.16 NT$131

4.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 NT$499

$13.93 NT$439

13.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.6

$1.74 NT$54.8

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$80.0

$2.40 NT$75.7

5.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.73

$0.62 NT$19.56

32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 NT$847

$21.71 NT$684

23.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.1

$2.83 NT$89.0

4.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.99

$0.78 NT$24.63

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 NT$188

$10.36 NT$326

-42.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.76

$1.02 NT$32.08

1.96%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$37.7K NT$1.2M

-10.14%

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

$25.1K NT$791.6K

$26.5K NT$836.1K

-5.32%

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

$104 NT$3,268

$86.7 NT$2,732

19.63%

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

$25.58 NT$806

$18.57 NT$585

37.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 NT$792

$22.99 NT$724

9.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 NT$1,202

$39.82 NT$1,254

-4.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 NT$362

$15.42 NT$486

-25.55%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 NT$317

$11.93 NT$376

-15.59%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$269 NT$8,479

60.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K NT$358.6K

$6,829 NT$215.1K

66.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NT$2,989

$59.5 NT$1,874

59.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 NT$1,113

$30.34 NT$956

16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NT$2,880

$92.2 NT$2,905

-0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,173

$122 NT$3,848

-17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$328 NT$10.3K

31.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,873

$195 NT$6,157

44.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 NT$29.6K

$684 NT$21.5K

37.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$21.4K

$712 NT$22.4K

-4.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.9K

$3,183 NT$100.3K

48.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.2K

$3,153 NT$99.3K

3.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.6K

$1,368 NT$43.1K

10.37%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Kaohsiung and $328 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 10% 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 $385 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $1,074 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 10% 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 $328 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $269 in Tainan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,149 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 7% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.