Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Taoyuan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,105 a month against $1,183 in Taoyuan, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taoyuan outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
Learn more

Kaohsiung Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Taoyuan
Learn more

Taoyuan Living Index

Jump to prices

Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,105

/mo nomad

Taoyuan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaohsiung and in Taoyuan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kaohsiung and in Taoyuan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Kaohsiung versus $1,183 in Taoyuan.

Kaohsiung $1,105
Taoyuan $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,796 in Kaohsiung versus $1,731 in Taoyuan.

Kaohsiung $1,796
Taoyuan $1,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,487 in Kaohsiung versus $2,278 in Taoyuan.

Kaohsiung $2,487
Taoyuan $2,278

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 7% less than in Taoyuan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 NT$155

$4.13 NT$135

14.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.77 NT$1,003

$24.84 NT$810

23.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$150

$5.46 NT$178

-15.75%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$95.4

$3.00 NT$97.8

-2.33%

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

$1.05 NT$34.21

$1.00 NT$32.66

5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.61

$0.69 NT$22.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$49.24

$1.81 NT$58.9

-16.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$78.1

$2.25 NT$73.3

6.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$103

$2.76 NT$89.9

14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NT$71.1

$1.16 NT$37.73

87.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$93.5

$2.58 NT$84.0

11.24%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.9

$2.14 NT$69.9

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NT$496

$8.84 NT$288

72.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NT$262

$7.14 NT$233

12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 NT$481

$21.23 NT$692

-30.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 NT$209

$3.77 NT$123

69.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.9

$1.94 NT$63.3

43.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 NT$78.8

$3.05 NT$99.4

-20.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.6

$3.05 NT$99.5

-0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 NT$87.4

$2.44 NT$79.5

9.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$64.4

$1.91 NT$62.2

3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$74.9

$2.29 NT$74.6

0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 NT$33.12

$0.87 NT$28.21

17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 NT$138

$4.85 NT$158

-12.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 NT$503

$10.78 NT$351

43.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 NT$52.5

$1.48 NT$48.27

8.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$68.0

$2.03 NT$66.3

2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$20.35

$0.52 NT$17.07

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.04 NT$393

$37.11 NT$1,210

-67.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$86.0

$2.83 NT$92.3

-6.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$25.48

$0.81 NT$26.32

-3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 NT$185

$6.89 NT$225

-17.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 NT$31.78

$0.95 NT$31.03

2.11%

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

$37.1K NT$1.2M

$36.5K NT$1.2M

1.82%

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

$22.7K NT$739.4K

$23.0K NT$748.9K

-1.26%

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

$82.1 NT$2,676

$66.9 NT$2,180

22.75%

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

$16.89 NT$551

$17.45 NT$569

-3.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 NT$824

$21.84 NT$712

15.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 NT$1,278

$30.19 NT$984

29.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 NT$330

$7.09 NT$231

42.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$330

$10.80 NT$352

-6.39%

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

$448 NT$14.6K

$521 NT$17.0K

-14.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K NT$445.8K

$31.3K NT$1.0M

-56.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 NT$2,935

$88.0 NT$2,871

2.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.24 NT$1,019

$24.36 NT$794

28.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 NT$2,805

$83.0 NT$2,707

3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 NT$3,239

$96.0 NT$3,129

3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 NT$14.0K

$641 NT$20.9K

-32.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 NT$9,806

$437 NT$14.2K

-31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$32.1K

$777 NT$25.3K

26.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$22.2K

$610 NT$19.9K

11.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,146 NT$135.2K

$6,226 NT$203.0K

-33.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,875 NT$93.7K

$4,079 NT$133.0K

-29.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 NT$45.7K

$1,507 NT$49.1K

-7.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.38

7.56%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: October 26, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$355 32.1%

Taoyuan

$306 25.8% 13.9% $50

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$301 27.2%

Taoyuan

$437 36.9% 45.3% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$138 12.5%

Taoyuan

$131 11.1% 5% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$124 11.3%

Taoyuan

$106 9% 14.6% $18

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$106 9.6%

Taoyuan

$106 8.9% 0.4% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$59 5.4%

Taoyuan

$52 4.4% 12.9% $7.6

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$21 1.9%

Taoyuan

$46 3.9% 118% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Kaohsiung and $641 in Taoyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 8% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31 in Kaohsiung vs $25 in Taoyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $306 per month, with Taoyuan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taoyuan

🕒 Local time

03:39 3:39 AM

Same time as Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

2,147,763

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kaohsiung Taoyuan 280 km

From you

Kaohsiung
Taoyuan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,105 in Kaohsiung and $1,183 in Taoyuan, so Kaohsiung is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $430 in Kaohsiung versus $641 in Taoyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $448 in Kaohsiung versus $521 in Taoyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Taoyuan pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Kaohsiung gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kaohsiung is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Taoyuan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung and Taoyuan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Kaohsiung wins on affordability, Taoyuan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.