Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taoyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taoyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,209 in Taoyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Kaohsiung versus $1,825 in Taoyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,551 in Kaohsiung versus $2,442 in Taoyuan.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 8% less than in Taoyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Taoyuan 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 NT$175

$4.46 NT$142

23.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 NT$1,020

$24.81 NT$788

29.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$154

$5.53 NT$176

-12.66%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.4

$3.04 NT$96.5

-7.57%

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

$1.08 NT$34.42

$0.98 NT$31.08

10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.30

$0.73 NT$23.09

-8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$46.93

$1.90 NT$60.5

-22.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.1

$2.35 NT$74.6

8.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$2.85 NT$90.7

14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$72.2

$1.23 NT$39.23

84.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.3

$2.63 NT$83.5

15.21%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.6

$2.11 NT$67.2

27.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 NT$489

$9.16 NT$291

67.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NT$250

$7.49 NT$238

4.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 NT$482

$21.50 NT$683

-29.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 NT$208

$3.84 NT$122

70.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NT$88.4

$2.02 NT$64.3

37.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.2

$3.08 NT$97.9

-18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.3

$3.15 NT$100

-0.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.1

$2.50 NT$79.4

8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$64.8

$1.98 NT$63.1

3.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.8

$2.27 NT$72.2

3.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.13

$0.88 NT$27.92

21.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$129

$5.07 NT$161

-19.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 NT$506

$10.95 NT$348

45.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.7

$1.45 NT$46.05

9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NT$68.4

$2.09 NT$66.5

2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.68

$0.55 NT$17.63

36.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 NT$395

$37.88 NT$1,204

-67.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.7

$2.88 NT$91.5

-5.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.77

$0.77 NT$24.61

1.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NT$182

$7.04 NT$224

-18.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.60

$1.00 NT$31.70

6.00%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-2.28%

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

$23.1K NT$734.5K

$23.5K NT$748.1K

-1.82%

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

$84.7 NT$2,690

$69.1 NT$2,195

22.56%

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

$17.10 NT$543

$17.83 NT$566

-4.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$819

$22.30 NT$709

15.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 NT$1,291

$33.89 NT$1,077

19.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$328

$7.18 NT$228

43.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NT$348

$11.07 NT$352

-1.08%

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

$474 NT$15.1K

$531 NT$16.9K

-10.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$443.6K

$32.4K NT$1.0M

-56.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 NT$3,002

$91.5 NT$2,907

3.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 NT$1,067

$25.11 NT$798

33.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 NT$2,749

$82.7 NT$2,629

4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NT$3,170

$96.5 NT$3,067

3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NT$12.9K

$659 NT$20.9K

-38.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$9,027

$435 NT$13.8K

-34.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.7K

$956 NT$30.4K

4.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 NT$21.3K

$737 NT$23.4K

-9.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,684 NT$148.8K

$7,589 NT$241.2K

-38.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 NT$100.7K

$4,683 NT$148.8K

-32.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,439 NT$45.7K

$1,569 NT$49.8K

-8.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.18

17.43%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kaohsiung and $659 in Taoyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 9% 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 $25.00 in Taoyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $313 per month, with Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Taoyuan differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $1,209 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Taoyuan. 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: $407 in Kaohsiung versus $659 in Taoyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Kaohsiung versus $531 in Taoyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Taoyuan pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,209 in Taoyuan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Taoyuan. 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 Taoyuan 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 9% less than in Taoyuan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.