Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,180 in Kaohsiung versus $1,491 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,923 in Kaohsiung versus $2,348 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,667 in Kaohsiung versus $3,204 in Taipei.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 21% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 12% below, Taipei is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.09 NT$129

$6.74 NT$212

-39.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.40 NT$1,052

$41.31 NT$1,301

-19.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 NT$167

$5.72 NT$180

-7.52%

Cappuccino

$3.06 NT$96.5

$3.82 NT$120

-19.90%

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

$0.98 NT$30.89

$1.18 NT$37.19

-16.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$22.85

$0.80 NT$25.06

-8.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 NT$53.9

$3.31 NT$104

-48.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 NT$83.0

$3.47 NT$109

-24.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.54 NT$111

$3.10 NT$97.8

14.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NT$63.2

$1.88 NT$59.3

6.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 NT$83.4

$3.16 NT$99.7

-16.14%

Eggs

$3.37 NT$106

$2.89 NT$90.9

16.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.60 NT$491

$20.27 NT$638

-23.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 NT$285

$9.70 NT$305

-6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 NT$564

$20.33 NT$640

-11.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 NT$191

$5.30 NT$167

14.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$80.5

$3.01 NT$94.7

-14.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.1

$2.77 NT$87.3

-1.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NT$129

$4.23 NT$133

-2.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 NT$91.2

$2.86 NT$90.2

1.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NT$69.9

$2.26 NT$71.0

-1.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$1.99 NT$62.6

-2.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.50

$1.38 NT$43.61

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 NT$140

$4.19 NT$132

5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 NT$434

$15.30 NT$482

-9.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.7

$1.76 NT$55.4

-5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$80.2

$2.40 NT$75.5

6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 NT$25.48

$0.87 NT$27.39

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$836

$40.64 NT$1,280

-34.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$92.9

$2.80 NT$88.0

5.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.03

$0.75 NT$23.48

-2.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 NT$189

$10.09 NT$318

-40.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.81

$1.04 NT$32.74

2.88%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$38.0K NT$1.2M

-9.35%

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

$25.7K NT$808.1K

$27.3K NT$860.6K

-6.10%

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

$104 NT$3,275

$86.7 NT$2,729

20.01%

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

$25.62 NT$807

$18.73 NT$590

36.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.08 NT$790

$24.83 NT$782

1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 NT$1,212

$42.25 NT$1,331

-8.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 NT$351

$13.84 NT$436

-19.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$318

$11.99 NT$377

-15.68%

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

$426 NT$13.4K

$635 NT$20.0K

-32.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K NT$355.1K

$18.6K NT$586.0K

-39.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 NT$3,046

$58.8 NT$1,852

64.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.54 NT$1,119

$32.79 NT$1,032

8.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 NT$2,831

$91.7 NT$2,886

-1.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,235

$124 NT$3,897

-16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 NT$13.6K

$791 NT$24.9K

-45.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 NT$8,903

$551 NT$17.3K

-48.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 NT$29.9K

$1,664 NT$52.4K

-43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 NT$21.7K

$1,109 NT$34.9K

-37.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,810 NT$151.5K

$14.6K NT$459.1K

-67.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,210 NT$101.1K

$8,632 NT$271.8K

-62.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,516 NT$47.7K

$1,677 NT$52.8K

-9.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

2.19

5.02%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 11, 2026

Last update for Taipei: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $433 in Kaohsiung and $791 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei 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: $33 in Kaohsiung vs $41 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $403 per month, with Kaohsiung cheaper across the board.

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

Kaohsiung and Taipei differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,180 vs $1,491 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taipei earns 11% less. 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: $433 in Kaohsiung versus $791 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $426 in Kaohsiung versus $635 in Taipei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,180 in Kaohsiung versus $1,491 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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 Taipei 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 26% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.