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: $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $1,388 in Tirana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,819 in Kaohsiung versus $2,245 in Tirana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,517 in Kaohsiung versus $3,102 in Tirana.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 19% less than in Tirana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 18% below, Tirana is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 NT$171

$9.87 ALL 782

-45.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.67 NT$1,005

$54.1 ALL 4,290

-41.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$154

$11.47 ALL 909

-57.72%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.1

$2.38 ALL 189

18.07%

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

$1.08 NT$34.26

$2.43 ALL 192

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.98

$1.28 ALL 102

-48.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.58

$3.63 ALL 288

-57.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$78.2

$4.25 ALL 337

-42.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 NT$101

$2.29 ALL 181

38.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 NT$68.8

$1.24 ALL 97.9

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.2

$2.51 ALL 199

21.91%

Eggs

$2.57 NT$81.6

$3.74 ALL 297

-31.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 NT$496

$13.61 ALL 1,079

14.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 NT$252

$9.18 ALL 727

-13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 NT$482

$17.05 ALL 1,351

-10.97%

Apples (1kg)

$6.56 NT$208

$1.95 ALL 154

236.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NT$87.6

$2.47 ALL 196

11.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$2.18 ALL 173

17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 NT$98.0

$1.96 ALL 155

57.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 NT$84.7

$1.03 ALL 81.7

159.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NT$65.6

$1.29 ALL 102

60.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 NT$75.5

$1.42 ALL 113

67.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NT$34.11

$0.82 ALL 65.0

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 NT$133

$4.78 ALL 379

-12.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 NT$503

$11.12 ALL 881

42.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.8

$1.75 ALL 139

-5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$71.1

$2.09 ALL 165

7.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NT$23.41

$0.52 ALL 40.88

42.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 NT$402

$19.76 ALL 1,566

-35.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NT$83.4

$3.71 ALL 294

-29.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.00

$3.74 ALL 297

-79.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 NT$176

$18.72 ALL 1,484

-70.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.99

$2.40 ALL 191

-56.67%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$34.4K ALL 2.7M

-0.47%

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

$23.9K NT$759.4K

$36.5K ALL 2.9M

-34.45%

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

$86.3 NT$2,739

$105 ALL 8,297

-17.53%

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

$17.06 NT$541

$19.40 ALL 1,538

-12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 NT$831

$21.12 ALL 1,674

24.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.20 NT$1,275

$57.9 ALL 4,589

-30.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 NT$339

$18.35 ALL 1,454

-41.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 NT$357

$10.24 ALL 812

9.77%

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

$465 NT$14.7K

$351 ALL 27.8K

32.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K NT$455.2K

$8,286 ALL 656.7K

73.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 NT$2,941

$73.2 ALL 5,804

26.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.78 NT$1,072

$47.68 ALL 3,779

-29.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 NT$2,750

$121 ALL 9,588

-28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,203

$115 ALL 9,126

-12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 NT$13.0K

$854 ALL 67.7K

-51.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$8,899

$505 ALL 40.0K

-44.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$31.3K

$1,546 ALL 122.5K

-36.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NT$21.8K

$954 ALL 75.6K

-27.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,665 NT$148.0K

$4,504 ALL 356.9K

3.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,188 NT$101.1K

$2,151 ALL 170.5K

48.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,434 NT$45.5K

$899 ALL 71.2K

59.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

5.64

-54.61%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tirana: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Kaohsiung and $854 in Tirana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $54.0 in Tirana. Groceries flip the comparison at $362 vs $298, 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,121 vs $1,388 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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: $411 in Kaohsiung versus $854 in Tirana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Kaohsiung versus $351 in Tirana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tirana pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $1,388 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 24% less than in Tirana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.