Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taitung Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taitung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,083 in Taitung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Kaohsiung versus $1,820 in Taitung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,666 in Kaohsiung versus $2,558 in Taitung.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 7% more expensive than in Taitung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 13% lower, Taitung 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$134

$4.17 NT$135

-0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.09 NT$1,101

$40.98 NT$1,323

-16.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$176

$5.66 NT$183

-3.53%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$96.5

$3.86 NT$125

-22.54%

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

$1.03 NT$33.19

$1.17 NT$37.81

-11.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$23.25

$0.74 NT$23.87

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$53.7

$3.36 NT$109

-50.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$89.5

$3.29 NT$106

-15.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.54 NT$114

$3.12 NT$101

13.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NT$66.7

$1.98 NT$63.8

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.0

$3.04 NT$98.3

-14.47%

Eggs

$3.32 NT$107

$2.50 NT$80.9

32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 NT$510

$20.41 NT$659

-22.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 NT$298

$4.10 NT$132

125.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 NT$579

$20.37 NT$658

-11.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 NT$194

$2.06 NT$66.5

190.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$83.5

$2.97 NT$95.9

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 NT$89.9

$2.05 NT$66.1

35.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$4.24 NT$137

-4.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.3

$2.84 NT$91.8

4.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$2.28 NT$73.7

-1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 NT$61.9

$1.97 NT$63.7

-2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$36.95

$1.38 NT$44.53

-17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$140

$4.04 NT$130

7.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 NT$490

$14.09 NT$455

7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$1.73 NT$55.9

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$79.2

$2.39 NT$77.3

2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 NT$26.16

$0.82 NT$26.63

-1.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.16 NT$877

$39.67 NT$1,281

-31.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$94.8

$2.81 NT$90.6

4.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.55

$0.72 NT$23.41

1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 NT$195

$10.23 NT$330

-41.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$34.53

$1.03 NT$33.40

3.88%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$37.3K NT$1.2M

-8.49%

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

$25.7K NT$831.4K

$27.3K NT$880.9K

-5.62%

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

$105 NT$3,391

$85.0 NT$2,744

23.54%

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

$25.44 NT$821

$18.74 NT$605

35.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.82 NT$802

$24.52 NT$792

1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 NT$1,243

$37.36 NT$1,206

3.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.37 NT$367

$15.27 NT$493

-25.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.36 NT$335

$10.15 NT$328

2.07%

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

$427 NT$13.8K

$639 NT$20.6K

-33.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K NT$364.0K

$19.0K NT$612.7K

-40.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,067

$30.56 NT$987

210.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 NT$1,170

$16.58 NT$535

118.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NT$2,886

$53.2 NT$1,718

68.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,317

$123 NT$3,961

-16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 NT$14.5K

$435 NT$14.1K

2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$9,030

$289 NT$9,324

-3.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 NT$29.9K

$1,020 NT$33.0K

-9.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 NT$22.3K

$731 NT$23.6K

-5.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,510 NT$145.6K

$6,321 NT$204.1K

-28.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,159 NT$102.0K

$5,238 NT$169.2K

-39.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 NT$47.2K

$609 NT$19.7K

140.28%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Taitung: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $448 in Kaohsiung and $435 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 140% 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 $41.00 in Taitung. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $353, with Taitung 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 Taitung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Taitung differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,159 vs $1,083 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 140% 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: $448 in Kaohsiung versus $435 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Kaohsiung versus $639 in Taitung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,083 in Taitung versus $1,159 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taitung but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Taitung 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 Taitung 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 Taitung 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.