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: $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,413 in Tirana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Kaohsiung versus $2,176 in Tirana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Kaohsiung versus $2,939 in Tirana.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 19% less than in Tirana, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 14% below, Tirana is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$11.96 ALL 978

-66.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,065

$59.4 ALL 4,861

-43.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$174

$9.36 ALL 765

-40.81%

Cappuccino

$3.08 NT$96.8

$1.96 ALL 160

57.14%

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

$1.02 NT$32.01

$1.81 ALL 148

-43.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.41

$0.94 ALL 76.8

-17.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 NT$54.1

$3.00 ALL 246

-42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$4.15 ALL 340

-33.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 NT$114

$2.14 ALL 175

69.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$64.5

$1.09 ALL 89.5

88.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$86.8

$2.17 ALL 177

27.19%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$101

$3.87 ALL 316

-17.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 NT$499

$13.08 ALL 1,070

21.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NT$285

$7.54 ALL 617

20.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 NT$564

$15.67 ALL 1,282

14.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$1.69 ALL 138

255.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.2

$2.80 ALL 229

-7.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.1

$2.03 ALL 166

36.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$1.94 ALL 159

113.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.0

$1.36 ALL 112

119.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.7

$1.32 ALL 108

67.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$1.46 ALL 120

32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.44

$0.75 ALL 61.7

54.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$137

$4.30 ALL 352

0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 NT$499

$11.11 ALL 909

42.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.5

$1.60 ALL 131

8.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$80.0

$2.13 ALL 175

19.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.70

$0.46 ALL 37.27

78.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 NT$846

$19.09 ALL 1,562

40.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.0

$3.57 ALL 292

-17.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.97

$3.12 ALL 256

-76.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 NT$188

$17.96 ALL 1,469

-66.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.73

$2.08 ALL 170

-50.00%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$40.3K ALL 3.3M

-15.92%

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

$25.1K NT$790.9K

$36.2K ALL 3.0M

-30.62%

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

$104 NT$3,265

$105 ALL 8,591

-1.23%

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

$25.58 NT$805

$17.92 ALL 1,466

42.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 NT$791

$18.38 ALL 1,504

36.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 NT$1,201

$54.0 ALL 4,421

-29.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 NT$361

$23.31 ALL 1,907

-50.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 NT$317

$9.31 ALL 761

8.16%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$288 ALL 23.6K

49.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K NT$358.3K

$5,480 ALL 448.4K

107.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NT$2,987

$67.7 ALL 5,535

40.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 NT$1,112

$51.3 ALL 4,200

-31.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NT$2,878

$107 ALL 8,749

-14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,170

$130 ALL 10.7K

-22.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$833 ALL 68.1K

-48.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,866

$540 ALL 44.2K

-47.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 NT$29.6K

$1,455 ALL 119.0K

-35.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$21.4K

$896 ALL 73.3K

-24.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.8K

$4,601 ALL 376.4K

2.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.1K

$2,244 ALL 183.6K

45.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.5K

$918 ALL 75.1K

64.47%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tirana: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Kaohsiung and $833 in Tirana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 64% 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 $59.0 in Tirana. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $280, 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $1,413 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 64% more on average, 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: $432 in Kaohsiung versus $833 in Tirana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $288 in Tirana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tirana pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,413 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 23% less than in Tirana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.