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: $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,053 in Taitung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Kaohsiung versus $1,800 in Taitung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,551 in Kaohsiung versus $2,546 in Taitung.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 5% more expensive than in Taitung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Taitung 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 NT$175

$3.85 NT$122

42.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 NT$1,020

$48.29 NT$1,534

-33.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$153

$6.09 NT$193

-20.69%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.4

$3.59 NT$114

-21.73%

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

$1.08 NT$34.41

$0.98 NT$31.05

10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.29

$0.66 NT$20.95

1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$46.91

$2.79 NT$88.6

-46.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.0

$3.79 NT$120

-32.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$3.11 NT$98.9

4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$72.1

$1.95 NT$61.9

16.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.3

$3.05 NT$96.9

-0.66%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.5

$2.25 NT$71.6

19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 NT$488

$19.53 NT$620

-21.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NT$250

$3.90 NT$124

101.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 NT$481

$21.97 NT$698

-31.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 NT$208

$1.89 NT$60.0

246.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NT$88.4

$2.90 NT$92.0

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.2

$1.96 NT$62.2

28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.3

$4.61 NT$146

-32.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.1

$2.86 NT$90.8

-5.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$64.8

$2.27 NT$72.1

-10.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.7

$1.75 NT$55.7

34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.11

$1.13 NT$35.74

-5.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$129

$3.88 NT$123

4.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 NT$505

$14.55 NT$462

9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.6

$1.72 NT$54.7

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NT$68.4

$2.28 NT$72.4

-5.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.67

$0.61 NT$19.43

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 NT$394

$36.80 NT$1,169

-66.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.7

$2.73 NT$86.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.76

$0.82 NT$26.19

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NT$182

$9.24 NT$294

-37.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.58

$0.92 NT$29.12

15.22%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-2.27%

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

$23.1K NT$734.1K

$24.4K NT$774.4K

-5.20%

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

$84.7 NT$2,689

$85.0 NT$2,699

-0.36%

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

$17.10 NT$543

$17.93 NT$570

-4.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$819

$27.73 NT$881

-7.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 NT$1,290

$37.04 NT$1,176

9.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$328

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NT$348

$9.60 NT$305

14.06%

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

$474 NT$15.0K

$625 NT$19.8K

-24.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$443.4K

$16.7K NT$531.7K

-16.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 NT$3,000

$28.95 NT$919

226.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 NT$1,067

$15.63 NT$496

114.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 NT$2,747

$50.4 NT$1,600

71.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NT$3,169

$108 NT$3,417

-7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NT$12.9K

$414 NT$13.1K

-1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$9,023

$251 NT$7,966

13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.7K

$991 NT$31.5K

0.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 NT$21.3K

$741 NT$23.5K

-9.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,684 NT$148.8K

$7,353 NT$233.5K

-36.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 NT$100.7K

$5,069 NT$161.0K

-37.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,439 NT$45.7K

$633 NT$20.1K

127.36%

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: September 13, 2026

Last update for Taitung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kaohsiung and $414 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 127% 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: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $48.00 in Taitung. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $349, 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $1,053 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 127% 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: $407 in Kaohsiung versus $414 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Kaohsiung versus $625 in Taitung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,053 in Taitung versus $1,107 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 5% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.