Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Zhongli City Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Zhongli City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,085 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Kaohsiung versus $1,808 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Kaohsiung versus $2,532 in Zhongli City.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 9% more expensive than in Zhongli City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 NT$133

$5.21 NT$168

-20.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,092

$20.70 NT$668

63.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$174

$4.83 NT$156

11.59%

Cappuccino

$2.96 NT$95.7

$2.44 NT$78.8

21.31%

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

$0.98 NT$31.76

$0.77 NT$24.93

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.54

$0.56 NT$18.12

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 NT$56.0

$1.47 NT$47.57

18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$87.1

$1.49 NT$48.00

81.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 NT$115

$3.25 NT$105

9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$63.7

$1.78 NT$57.4

10.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$84.9

$2.82 NT$91.2

-6.74%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$104

$2.66 NT$85.8

20.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 NT$513

$31.00 NT$1,001

-48.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NT$307

$8.01 NT$259

18.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 NT$571

$15.54 NT$502

13.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 NT$198

$4.68 NT$151

30.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NT$82.5

$1.82 NT$58.8

40.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 NT$90.9

$2.27 NT$73.2

24.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$2.94 NT$94.8

37.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 NT$95.5

$1.33 NT$42.85

122.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$72.6

$1.95 NT$63.1

15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NT$61.0

$2.30 NT$74.3

-17.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.14

$1.28 NT$41.32

-10.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 NT$139

$3.97 NT$128

8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$493

$15.38 NT$496

-0.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.66 NT$53.7

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.7

$2.35 NT$75.8

8.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.26

$0.59 NT$19.16

49.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.22 NT$879

$41.16 NT$1,328

-33.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 NT$92.3

$2.91 NT$94.1

-1.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.93

$0.73 NT$23.43

5.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$203

$10.31 NT$333

-39.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.17

$0.91 NT$29.46

13.19%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$33.6K NT$1.1M

1.54%

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

$24.9K NT$804.7K

$26.3K NT$849.4K

-5.26%

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

$104 NT$3,368

$95.3 NT$3,077

9.46%

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

$24.88 NT$803

$13.28 NT$429

87.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 NT$808

$10.00 NT$323

150.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.26 NT$1,267

$36.83 NT$1,189

6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 NT$362

$15.26 NT$493

-26.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NT$334

$9.51 NT$307

8.83%

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

$422 NT$13.6K

$355 NT$11.5K

18.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$361.3K

$21.1K NT$680.9K

-46.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NT$3,079

$61.1 NT$1,971

56.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 NT$1,137

$20.30 NT$655

73.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 NT$2,859

$77.5 NT$2,502

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,319

$67.2 NT$2,170

52.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$428 NT$13.8K

2.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 NT$8,855

$263 NT$8,492

4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 NT$30.1K

$1,057 NT$34.1K

-11.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NT$22.7K

$744 NT$24.0K

-5.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 NT$48.5K

$2,280 NT$73.6K

-34.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

2.1

9.52%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Kaohsiung and $428 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 52% 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 $21.00 in Zhongli City. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $386, 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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Zhongli City differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $1,085 including rent). Zhongli City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Zhongli City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $437 in Kaohsiung versus $428 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Kaohsiung versus $355 in Zhongli City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,085 in Zhongli City versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhongli City but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.