Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Yilan Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Yilan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,093 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Kaohsiung versus $1,693 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Kaohsiung versus $2,294 in Yilan.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 5% more expensive than Yilan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Yilan 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$3.62 NT$114

11.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,066

$30.73 NT$968

10.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$174

$5.34 NT$168

3.75%

Cappuccino

$3.08 NT$96.9

$2.95 NT$93.0

4.41%

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

$1.02 NT$32.04

$1.10 NT$34.62

-7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.43

$0.69 NT$21.66

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 NT$54.1

$1.55 NT$48.97

10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$2.91 NT$91.7

-4.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 NT$114

$3.57 NT$113

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$64.6

$1.77 NT$55.8

15.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$86.9

$2.00 NT$63.0

38.00%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$101

$2.63 NT$82.8

22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 NT$499

$31.73 NT$1,000

-50.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NT$285

$7.91 NT$249

14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 NT$565

$15.67 NT$494

14.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$4.73 NT$149

26.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.3

$0.87 NT$27.42

196.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$2.31 NT$72.6

19.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$1.73 NT$54.6

139.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.1

$1.34 NT$42.23

123.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.8

$1.39 NT$43.95

58.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$2.17 NT$68.3

-10.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.47

$1.30 NT$40.85

-10.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$137

$4.19 NT$132

3.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 NT$499

$16.23 NT$511

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.6

$1.44 NT$45.29

20.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$80.0

$2.66 NT$83.8

-4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.73

$1.00 NT$31.66

-18.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 NT$847

$34.29 NT$1,080

-21.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.1

$2.85 NT$89.7

3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.99

$1.19 NT$37.52

-38.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 NT$188

$9.97 NT$314

-40.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.76

$1.05 NT$32.94

-0.95%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$26.6K NT$838.9K

27.24%

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

$25.1K NT$791.6K

$23.5K NT$741.7K

6.73%

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

$104 NT$3,268

$59.6 NT$1,878

73.97%

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

$25.58 NT$806

$17.18 NT$541

48.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 NT$792

$22.06 NT$695

13.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 NT$1,202

$31.87 NT$1,004

19.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 NT$362

$17.17 NT$541

-33.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 NT$317

$9.79 NT$309

2.86%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$359 NT$11.3K

19.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K NT$358.6K

$20.4K NT$643.1K

-44.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NT$2,989

$70.9 NT$2,232

33.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 NT$1,113

$34.23 NT$1,078

3.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NT$2,880

$78.7 NT$2,480

16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,173

$86.8 NT$2,733

16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$303 NT$9,553

42.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,873

$292 NT$9,193

-3.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 NT$29.6K

$669 NT$21.1K

40.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$21.4K

$492 NT$15.5K

38.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.9K

$7,553 NT$238.0K

-37.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.2K

$5,424 NT$170.9K

-39.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.6K

$1,040 NT$32.8K

45.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

2.18

5.50%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Yilan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Kaohsiung and $303 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $31.00 in Yilan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $376 per month, with Yilan 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 Yilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Yilan differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $1,093 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 45% 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 $303 in Yilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $359 in Yilan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,093 in Yilan versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yilan but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Yilan 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 Yilan 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 Yilan 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.