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: $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,001 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Kaohsiung versus $1,746 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,551 in Kaohsiung versus $2,491 in Yilan.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 11% more expensive than in Yilan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Yilan 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 NT$175

$3.56 NT$113

54.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 NT$1,020

$30.37 NT$965

5.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$154

$4.85 NT$154

-0.41%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.4

$2.77 NT$87.9

1.44%

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

$1.08 NT$34.42

$1.05 NT$33.27

2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.30

$0.71 NT$22.65

-5.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$46.93

$1.49 NT$47.42

-0.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.1

$2.94 NT$93.5

-13.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$3.21 NT$102

1.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$72.2

$1.72 NT$54.8

31.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.3

$2.66 NT$84.4

13.91%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.6

$2.55 NT$81.0

5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 NT$489

$29.36 NT$933

-47.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NT$250

$7.93 NT$252

-0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 NT$482

$16.85 NT$535

-10.03%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 NT$208

$4.40 NT$140

48.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NT$88.4

$1.93 NT$61.3

44.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.2

$1.84 NT$58.4

36.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.3

$2.27 NT$72.0

37.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.1

$1.21 NT$38.55

123.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$64.8

$1.91 NT$60.8

6.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.8

$2.37 NT$75.3

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.13

$0.92 NT$29.14

16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$129

$3.71 NT$118

9.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 NT$506

$15.87 NT$504

0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.7

$1.41 NT$44.87

12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NT$68.4

$2.53 NT$80.4

-15.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.68

$0.76 NT$24.03

-1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 NT$395

$36.58 NT$1,162

-66.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.7

$2.74 NT$87.1

-0.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.77

$0.93 NT$29.61

-16.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NT$182

$9.24 NT$294

-37.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.60

$0.99 NT$31.56

7.07%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$25.0K NT$794.0K

33.00%

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

$23.1K NT$734.5K

$19.9K NT$632.4K

16.14%

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

$84.7 NT$2,690

$47.93 NT$1,523

76.61%

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

$17.10 NT$543

$14.86 NT$472

15.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$819

$21.17 NT$673

21.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 NT$1,291

$31.96 NT$1,016

27.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$328

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NT$348

$8.29 NT$263

32.09%

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

$474 NT$15.1K

$347 NT$11.0K

36.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$443.6K

$17.0K NT$538.9K

-17.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 NT$3,002

$54.6 NT$1,736

72.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 NT$1,067

$31.89 NT$1,013

5.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 NT$2,749

$83.9 NT$2,665

3.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NT$3,170

$62.7 NT$1,992

59.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NT$12.9K

$278 NT$8,844

46.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$9,027

$254 NT$8,075

11.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.7K

$992 NT$31.5K

0.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 NT$21.3K

$744 NT$23.6K

-9.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,684 NT$148.8K

$7,457 NT$237.0K

-37.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 NT$100.7K

$5,040 NT$160.2K

-37.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,439 NT$45.7K

$1,026 NT$32.6K

40.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.27

12.78%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Last update for Yilan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kaohsiung and $278 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 40% 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: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $30.00 in Yilan. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $373, with Kaohsiung 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 Yilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Yilan differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $1,001 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $407 in Kaohsiung versus $278 in Yilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Kaohsiung versus $347 in Yilan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,001 in Yilan versus $1,107 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 11% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.