Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Tirana Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Tirana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,435 in Tirana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Kaohsiung versus $2,204 in Tirana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Kaohsiung versus $2,972 in Tirana.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 17% less than in Tirana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 11% below, Tirana is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 NT$133

$11.95 ALL 975

-65.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,095

$58.1 ALL 4,734

-41.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$174

$9.40 ALL 767

-42.66%

Cappuccino

$2.96 NT$96.0

$1.98 ALL 161

49.49%

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

$0.98 NT$31.85

$1.84 ALL 150

-46.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.61

$0.93 ALL 75.8

-18.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 NT$56.2

$2.92 ALL 238

-40.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$87.4

$4.06 ALL 331

-33.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 NT$115

$2.05 ALL 167

73.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$63.9

$1.10 ALL 89.5

79.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$85.1

$2.23 ALL 182

17.94%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$104

$3.97 ALL 324

-19.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 NT$515

$13.06 ALL 1,065

21.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NT$307

$7.60 ALL 620

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 NT$572

$15.91 ALL 1,298

11.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 NT$198

$1.75 ALL 143

250.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NT$82.7

$2.75 ALL 224

-7.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 NT$91.2

$1.97 ALL 161

43.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$1.98 ALL 162

103.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 NT$95.8

$1.31 ALL 107

125.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$72.9

$1.34 ALL 109

67.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NT$61.1

$1.50 ALL 122

26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.24

$0.73 ALL 59.8

57.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 NT$139

$4.13 ALL 337

4.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$494

$10.41 ALL 849

46.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$55.5

$1.58 ALL 129

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.9

$2.17 ALL 177

17.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.33

$0.49 ALL 39.64

79.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.22 NT$881

$19.09 ALL 1,556

42.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 NT$92.5

$3.58 ALL 292

-20.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$25.00

$3.10 ALL 253

-75.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$203

$17.72 ALL 1,445

-64.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.26

$2.14 ALL 174

-51.87%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$40.0K ALL 3.3M

-14.76%

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

$24.9K NT$807.0K

$35.4K ALL 2.9M

-29.49%

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

$104 NT$3,377

$109 ALL 8,902

-4.40%

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

$24.88 NT$805

$17.95 ALL 1,464

38.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 NT$810

$18.17 ALL 1,482

37.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.26 NT$1,271

$55.2 ALL 4,505

-28.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 NT$363

$23.25 ALL 1,896

-51.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NT$335

$9.51 ALL 775

8.83%

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

$422 NT$13.7K

$286 ALL 23.3K

47.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$362.3K

$5,525 ALL 450.5K

102.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NT$3,088

$67.9 ALL 5,538

40.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 NT$1,140

$50.2 ALL 4,095

-29.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 NT$2,867

$107 ALL 8,697

-16.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,329

$130 ALL 10.6K

-20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$824 ALL 67.2K

-47.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 NT$8,880

$555 ALL 45.3K

-50.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 NT$30.2K

$1,470 ALL 119.9K

-36.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NT$22.8K

$909 ALL 74.1K

-22.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.4K

$4,308 ALL 351.4K

5.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.6K

$2,148 ALL 175.1K

43.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 NT$48.6K

$869 ALL 70.8K

72.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

5.52

-58.33%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tirana: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Kaohsiung and $824 in Tirana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 73% 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 $58.0 in Tirana. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $279, with Tirana 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 Tirana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Tirana differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $1,435 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 73% 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: $437 in Kaohsiung versus $824 in Tirana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Kaohsiung versus $286 in Tirana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tirana pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,435 in Tirana, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Tirana. 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 Tirana 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 21% less than in Tirana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.