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: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,115 in Taitung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $1,839 in Taitung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $2,562 in Taitung.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 12% lower, Taitung 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$4.01 NT$127

1.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$40.84 NT$1,291

-16.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$5.71 NT$181

-3.50%

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$3.80 NT$120

-18.68%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$1.13 NT$35.85

-14.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$0.79 NT$25.02

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

$3.32 NT$105

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$3.45 NT$109

-20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$3.11 NT$98.5

12.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.97 NT$62.3

1.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$3.05 NT$96.3

-14.43%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$2.40 NT$75.7

38.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$19.92 NT$630

-19.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$4.04 NT$128

132.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$19.97 NT$631

-9.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$2.02 NT$63.8

205.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$2.88 NT$91.0

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$2.08 NT$65.6

36.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$4.33 NT$137

-7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$2.80 NT$88.4

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$2.26 NT$71.5

-5.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$1.96 NT$62.0

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$1.32 NT$41.79

-9.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$3.97 NT$125

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

$14.07 NT$445

10.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

$1.79 NT$56.7

-3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

$2.42 NT$76.4

1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$0.86 NT$27.31

-4.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$39.36 NT$1,244

-32.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$0.73 NT$23.00

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$10.36 NT$327

-39.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$1.04 NT$32.97

-0.96%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$37.5K NT$1.2M

-9.66%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$28.0K NT$884.0K

-8.26%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$86.3 NT$2,728

18.22%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$18.88 NT$597

33.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$25.12 NT$794

1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$37.04 NT$1,171

6.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$14.91 NT$471

-25.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$10.02 NT$317

0.60%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$634 NT$20.1K

-32.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$18.9K NT$598.3K

-39.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$30.52 NT$965

211.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$16.57 NT$524

117.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$53.0 NT$1,674

68.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$124 NT$3,930

-18.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$439 NT$13.9K

0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$284 NT$8,979

-0.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$1,027 NT$32.5K

-7.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$722 NT$22.8K

-5.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

$6,522 NT$206.2K

-29.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

$5,961 NT$188.4K

-46.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$639 NT$20.2K

134.97%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Taitung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $439 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 135% 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 $385 vs $348, 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 ($1,188 vs $1,115 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 135% 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: $443 in Kaohsiung versus $439 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Kaohsiung versus $634 in Taitung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,115 in Taitung versus $1,188 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.