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: $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,064 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Kaohsiung versus $1,807 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Kaohsiung versus $2,549 in Zhongli City.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 8% more expensive than Zhongli City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Zhongli City 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$5.10 NT$161

-20.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,065

$20.62 NT$649

64.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$174

$4.67 NT$147

18.63%

Cappuccino

$3.08 NT$96.8

$2.50 NT$78.7

23.20%

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

$1.02 NT$32.01

$0.79 NT$24.94

29.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.41

$0.60 NT$19.00

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 NT$54.1

$1.47 NT$46.30

17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$1.49 NT$46.86

85.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 NT$114

$3.43 NT$108

5.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$64.5

$1.77 NT$55.9

15.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$86.8

$2.85 NT$89.6

-3.16%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$101

$2.60 NT$81.7

23.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 NT$499

$31.63 NT$996

-49.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NT$285

$8.15 NT$257

11.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 NT$564

$15.91 NT$501

12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$4.53 NT$143

32.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.2

$1.83 NT$57.5

40.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.1

$2.30 NT$72.3

20.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$2.95 NT$92.7

40.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.0

$1.34 NT$42.32

123.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.7

$1.94 NT$60.9

13.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$2.30 NT$72.3

-15.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.44

$1.29 NT$40.50

-10.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$137

$4.14 NT$130

4.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 NT$499

$16.03 NT$505

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.5

$1.66 NT$52.2

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$80.0

$2.33 NT$73.5

9.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.70

$0.63 NT$19.70

30.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 NT$846

$40.79 NT$1,284

-34.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.0

$2.81 NT$88.5

4.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.97

$0.72 NT$22.74

1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 NT$188

$10.04 NT$316

-40.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.73

$0.98 NT$30.73

6.12%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$34.2K NT$1.1M

-0.97%

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

$25.1K NT$790.9K

$25.4K NT$799.7K

-1.10%

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

$104 NT$3,265

$95.4 NT$3,002

8.76%

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

$25.58 NT$805

$13.49 NT$425

89.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 NT$791

$10.23 NT$322

145.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 NT$1,201

$37.35 NT$1,176

2.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 NT$361

$15.05 NT$474

-23.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 NT$317

$9.56 NT$301

5.33%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$357 NT$11.2K

20.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K NT$358.3K

$21.0K NT$659.8K

-45.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NT$2,987

$61.8 NT$1,946

53.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 NT$1,112

$20.07 NT$632

76.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NT$2,878

$80.6 NT$2,537

13.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,170

$66.7 NT$2,099

51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$431 NT$13.6K

0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,866

$256 NT$8,067

9.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 NT$29.6K

$1,043 NT$32.8K

-9.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$21.4K

$741 NT$23.3K

-8.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.5K

$2,372 NT$74.7K

-36.36%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Kaohsiung and $431 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 57% 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 $385 vs $392, 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $1,064 including rent). Zhongli City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Zhongli City earns 57% less. 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: $432 in Kaohsiung versus $431 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $357 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 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,064 in Zhongli City versus $1,149 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 8% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.