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: $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,103 in Taoyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Kaohsiung versus $1,715 in Taoyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,666 in Kaohsiung versus $2,328 in Taoyuan.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 5% more expensive than in Taoyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 13% lower, Taoyuan 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$135

$5.13 NT$166

-18.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.09 NT$1,103

$25.22 NT$816

35.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$176

$6.12 NT$198

-10.78%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$96.6

$2.78 NT$89.9

7.55%

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

$1.03 NT$33.25

$1.24 NT$39.97

-16.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$23.29

$0.78 NT$25.09

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$53.8

$1.63 NT$52.6

1.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$89.6

$2.40 NT$77.6

15.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.54 NT$115

$3.29 NT$106

7.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NT$66.8

$1.40 NT$45.25

47.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.1

$2.39 NT$77.3

8.79%

Eggs

$3.32 NT$108

$2.29 NT$74.2

44.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 NT$510

$9.25 NT$299

70.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 NT$299

$8.06 NT$261

14.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 NT$580

$15.83 NT$512

13.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 NT$194

$3.30 NT$107

81.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$83.7

$1.90 NT$61.6

36.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 NT$90.1

$2.73 NT$88.3

1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$2.99 NT$96.8

34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.5

$2.35 NT$76.1

26.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.6

$1.88 NT$60.8

19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 NT$62.0

$2.55 NT$82.6

-24.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$37.02

$0.91 NT$29.43

25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$141

$6.37 NT$206

-31.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 NT$491

$10.67 NT$345

42.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.5

$1.81 NT$58.7

-8.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$79.4

$2.36 NT$76.5

3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 NT$26.20

$0.66 NT$21.45

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.16 NT$879

$39.94 NT$1,292

-32.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$94.9

$3.03 NT$97.9

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.59

$0.72 NT$23.43

1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 NT$195

$8.24 NT$266

-26.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$34.59

$1.06 NT$34.27

0.94%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$36.1K NT$1.2M

-5.44%

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

$25.7K NT$832.9K

$26.9K NT$870.3K

-4.30%

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

$105 NT$3,396

$66.4 NT$2,146

58.25%

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

$25.44 NT$823

$29.10 NT$941

-12.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.82 NT$803

$18.97 NT$614

30.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 NT$1,245

$37.03 NT$1,198

3.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.37 NT$368

$10.04 NT$325

13.25%

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

$582 NT$18.8K

-26.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K NT$364.6K

$15.4K NT$499.7K

-27.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,072

$81.3 NT$2,630

16.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 NT$1,172

$23.97 NT$776

51.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NT$2,891

$84.3 NT$2,725

6.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,322

$103 NT$3,331

-0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 NT$14.5K

$418 NT$13.5K

7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$9,046

$351 NT$11.4K

-20.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 NT$29.9K

$832 NT$26.9K

11.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 NT$22.3K

$598 NT$19.4K

15.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,510 NT$145.9K

$7,335 NT$237.3K

-38.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,159 NT$102.2K

$4,640 NT$150.1K

-31.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 NT$47.3K

$1,505 NT$48.7K

-2.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

1.57

46.50%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $448 in Kaohsiung and $418 in Taoyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $25.00 in Taoyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $302 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,159 vs $1,103 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $448 in Kaohsiung versus $418 in Taoyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Kaohsiung versus $582 in Taoyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,103 in Taoyuan versus $1,159 in Kaohsiung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taoyuan but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan 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.