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: $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,081 in Yilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Kaohsiung versus $1,712 in Yilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Kaohsiung versus $2,343 in Yilan.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 10% more expensive than in Yilan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 11% lower, Yilan 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 NT$133

$3.55 NT$114

16.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,092

$30.77 NT$993

9.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$174

$5.36 NT$173

0.56%

Cappuccino

$2.96 NT$95.7

$2.99 NT$96.6

-1.00%

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

$0.98 NT$31.76

$1.15 NT$37.15

-14.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.54

$0.75 NT$24.36

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 NT$56.0

$1.53 NT$49.50

13.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$87.1

$2.94 NT$95.0

-8.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 NT$115

$3.62 NT$117

-1.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$63.7

$1.69 NT$54.4

16.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$84.9

$1.96 NT$63.4

34.18%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$104

$2.74 NT$88.3

17.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 NT$513

$31.74 NT$1,024

-49.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NT$307

$8.08 NT$261

17.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 NT$571

$16.01 NT$517

10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 NT$198

$4.56 NT$147

34.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NT$82.5

$0.87 NT$27.93

193.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 NT$90.9

$2.22 NT$71.6

27.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$1.74 NT$56.2

131.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 NT$95.5

$1.29 NT$41.63

129.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$72.6

$1.39 NT$44.96

61.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NT$61.0

$2.17 NT$70.1

-12.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.14

$1.23 NT$39.79

-6.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 NT$139

$4.12 NT$133

4.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$493

$15.32 NT$494

-0.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.43 NT$46.00

19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.7

$2.58 NT$83.4

-0.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.26

$1.03 NT$33.32

-14.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.22 NT$879

$34.65 NT$1,118

-21.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 NT$92.3

$2.91 NT$93.9

-1.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.93

$1.20 NT$38.71

-35.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$203

$10.16 NT$328

-38.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.17

$1.01 NT$32.49

1.98%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$27.6K NT$892.2K

23.38%

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

$24.9K NT$804.7K

$22.8K NT$736.7K

9.23%

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

$104 NT$3,368

$60.4 NT$1,948

72.85%

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

$24.88 NT$803

$16.63 NT$537

49.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 NT$808

$21.93 NT$708

14.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.26 NT$1,267

$31.86 NT$1,028

23.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 NT$362

$16.93 NT$546

-33.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NT$334

$9.92 NT$320

4.33%

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

$422 NT$13.6K

$367 NT$11.8K

15.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$361.3K

$20.6K NT$665.8K

-45.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NT$3,079

$71.8 NT$2,316

32.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 NT$1,137

$34.71 NT$1,120

1.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 NT$2,859

$78.8 NT$2,544

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,319

$88.3 NT$2,850

16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$303 NT$9,772

44.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 NT$8,855

$286 NT$9,221

-3.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 NT$30.1K

$673 NT$21.7K

38.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NT$22.7K

$509 NT$16.4K

38.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.0K

$7,150 NT$230.8K

-36.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.3K

$4,917 NT$158.7K

-37.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 NT$48.5K

$997 NT$32.2K

50.74%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Yilan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Kaohsiung and $303 in Yilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 51% 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 $383 vs $374 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $1,081 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% 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 $303 in Yilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Kaohsiung versus $367 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 $1,081 in Yilan versus $1,186 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 10% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.