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: $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,133 in Taoyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,899 in Kaohsiung versus $1,711 in Taoyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Kaohsiung versus $2,289 in Taoyuan.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 1% more expensive than Taoyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Taoyuan 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 NT$130

$5.06 NT$160

-18.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.83 NT$1,071

$25.54 NT$808

32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 NT$172

$6.17 NT$195

-11.99%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.8

$2.94 NT$92.9

1.70%

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

$0.97 NT$30.80

$1.29 NT$40.87

-24.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.94

$0.78 NT$24.81

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.2

$2.40 NT$76.0

16.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.43 NT$109

$3.21 NT$102

6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.38 NT$43.56

44.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.6

$2.53 NT$79.9

3.16%

Eggs

$3.30 NT$105

$2.23 NT$70.5

47.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$511

$9.18 NT$291

75.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NT$299

$8.02 NT$254

17.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 NT$556

$15.90 NT$503

10.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 NT$196

$3.34 NT$106

85.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$81.9

$1.90 NT$60.2

36.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.4

$2.62 NT$83.0

9.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 NT$127

$3.00 NT$95.0

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$2.44 NT$77.2

19.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NT$70.5

$1.89 NT$59.7

17.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.6

$2.56 NT$80.9

-23.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.74

$0.87 NT$27.61

36.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 NT$143

$6.61 NT$209

-31.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 NT$494

$9.44 NT$299

65.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$1.84 NT$58.2

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$81.0

$2.37 NT$75.0

8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.01

$0.70 NT$22.08

17.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.95 NT$853

$41.05 NT$1,299

-34.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$3.13 NT$99.0

-7.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.16

$0.78 NT$24.80

1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 NT$194

$8.03 NT$254

-23.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.54

$1.05 NT$33.34

-1.90%

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

$34.9K NT$1.1M

$35.9K NT$1.1M

-2.81%

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

$25.6K NT$811.5K

$26.4K NT$834.4K

-2.74%

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

$102 NT$3,239

$65.2 NT$2,063

56.97%

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

$25.62 NT$811

$29.34 NT$928

-12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 NT$794

$19.10 NT$605

31.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 NT$1,255

$37.10 NT$1,174

6.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 NT$352

$10.26 NT$325

8.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NT$316

$9.97 NT$316

0.10%

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

$431 NT$13.7K

$575 NT$18.2K

-25.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.6K

$15.3K NT$485.7K

-25.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NT$3,083

$82.6 NT$2,613

17.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 NT$1,134

$24.12 NT$763

48.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 NT$2,788

$84.7 NT$2,680

4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,276

$101 NT$3,200

2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 NT$14.0K

$424 NT$13.4K

4.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 NT$8,843

$343 NT$10.9K

-18.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.4K

$837 NT$26.5K

14.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 NT$21.7K

$613 NT$19.4K

11.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 NT$146.5K

$8,004 NT$253.3K

-42.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 NT$102.8K

$5,235 NT$165.7K

-37.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 NT$48.5K

$1,536 NT$48.6K

-0.22%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kaohsiung and $424 in Taoyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 0% 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 $26.00 in Taoyuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $299 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,133 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taoyuan earns 0% less. 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: $442 in Kaohsiung versus $424 in Taoyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $575 in Taoyuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,133 in Taoyuan versus $1,148 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 1% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.