Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,105 a month against $1,330 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,105

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaohsiung and in Taipei

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kaohsiung and in Taipei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Kaohsiung versus $1,330 in Taipei.

Kaohsiung $1,105
Taipei $1,330

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,796 in Kaohsiung versus $2,145 in Taipei.

Kaohsiung $1,796
Taipei $2,145

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,487 in Kaohsiung versus $2,959 in Taipei.

Kaohsiung $2,487
Taipei $2,959

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 17% less than in Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Taipei 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 NT$154

$4.70 NT$153

0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.77 NT$1,002

$46.13 NT$1,502

-33.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$150

$5.80 NT$189

-20.69%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$95.3

$3.37 NT$110

-13.06%

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

$1.05 NT$34.16

$0.91 NT$29.57

15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.58

$0.66 NT$21.55

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$49.18

$2.98 NT$97.0

-49.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$78.0

$3.64 NT$119

-34.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$103

$2.95 NT$96.1

7.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NT$71.1

$1.92 NT$62.7

13.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$93.4

$3.10 NT$101

-7.42%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.8

$2.62 NT$85.2

-3.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NT$495

$19.04 NT$620

-20.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NT$261

$9.54 NT$311

-15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 NT$481

$20.87 NT$680

-29.23%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 NT$208

$4.72 NT$154

35.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.8

$3.33 NT$109

-16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 NT$78.7

$2.95 NT$96.0

-17.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.5

$4.26 NT$139

-29.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 NT$87.3

$2.75 NT$89.7

-2.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$64.3

$2.22 NT$72.4

-11.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$74.8

$1.66 NT$54.0

38.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 NT$33.07

$1.08 NT$35.04

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 NT$138

$3.95 NT$128

7.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 NT$503

$13.89 NT$452

11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 NT$52.4

$1.58 NT$51.6

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$67.9

$2.18 NT$70.9

-4.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$20.32

$0.58 NT$18.96

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.04 NT$392

$36.25 NT$1,180

-66.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$85.9

$2.54 NT$82.6

3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$25.45

$0.75 NT$24.41

4.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 NT$185

$8.99 NT$293

-36.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 NT$31.74

$1.00 NT$32.58

-3.00%

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

$37.1K NT$1.2M

$34.6K NT$1.1M

7.21%

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

$22.7K NT$738.4K

$23.0K NT$749.9K

-1.53%

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

$82.1 NT$2,673

$85.6 NT$2,787

-4.11%

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

$16.89 NT$550

$16.94 NT$552

-0.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 NT$823

$26.94 NT$877

-6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 NT$1,277

$39.55 NT$1,288

-0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 NT$330

$15.36 NT$500

-34.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$329

$9.72 NT$316

4.01%

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

$448 NT$14.6K

$710 NT$23.1K

-36.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K NT$445.3K

$16.3K NT$532.1K

-16.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 NT$2,931

$62.0 NT$2,019

45.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.24 NT$1,017

$39.30 NT$1,280

-20.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 NT$2,801

$84.1 NT$2,738

2.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 NT$3,234

$102 NT$3,312

-2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 NT$14.0K

$961 NT$31.3K

-55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 NT$9,793

$456 NT$14.8K

-34.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$32.1K

$1,511 NT$49.2K

-34.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$22.2K

$919 NT$29.9K

-25.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,146 NT$135.0K

$11.4K NT$371.5K

-63.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,875 NT$93.6K

$6,882 NT$224.1K

-58.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 NT$45.6K

$1,703 NT$55.5K

-17.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.4

6.67%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$355 32.1%

Taipei

$388 29.2% 9.3% $33

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$301 27.2%

Taipei

$456 34.3% 51.5% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$138 12.5%

Taipei

$129 9.7% 6.4% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$124 11.3%

Taipei

$129 9.7% 4.2% $5.2

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$106 9.6%

Taipei

$124 9.3% 16.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$59 5.4%

Taipei

$59 4.4% 0.8% $0.5

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$21 1.9%

Taipei

$45 3.4% 113% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Kaohsiung and $961 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 22% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31 in Kaohsiung vs $46 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $388 per month, with Kaohsiung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

Same time as Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,105 in Kaohsiung and $1,330 in Taipei, so Kaohsiung is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Kaohsiung. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $430 in Kaohsiung versus $961 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $448 in Kaohsiung versus $710 in Taipei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Kaohsiung gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kaohsiung is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Taipei, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung and Taipei are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.