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: $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $977 in Zhongli City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Kaohsiung versus $1,660 in Zhongli City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,551 in Kaohsiung versus $2,344 in Zhongli City.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 13% more expensive than in Zhongli City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Zhongli City 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 NT$175

$4.69 NT$149

17.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 NT$1,022

$32.17 NT$1,024

-0.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$154

$4.65 NT$148

3.87%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.6

$2.58 NT$82.2

8.91%

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

$1.08 NT$34.48

$0.98 NT$31.20

10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.33

$0.68 NT$21.67

-1.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$47.02

$1.62 NT$51.5

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.2

$2.88 NT$91.7

-11.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$3.17 NT$101

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$72.3

$1.72 NT$54.9

31.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.5

$2.64 NT$84.0

14.77%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.7

$2.61 NT$83.0

3.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 NT$489

$12.49 NT$398

23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NT$250

$7.13 NT$227

10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 NT$483

$15.67 NT$499

-3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 NT$208

$3.70 NT$118

76.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NT$88.6

$1.90 NT$60.3

46.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.4

$1.83 NT$58.3

37.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.5

$2.16 NT$68.6

44.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.3

$1.23 NT$39.20

120.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$64.9

$1.92 NT$61.1

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.9

$2.32 NT$73.9

1.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.19

$0.86 NT$27.23

24.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$130

$3.95 NT$126

3.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 NT$507

$15.87 NT$505

0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.8

$1.63 NT$52.0

-2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$2.50 NT$79.7

-14.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.72

$0.61 NT$19.55

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 NT$395

$38.06 NT$1,212

-67.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.9

$2.61 NT$82.9

4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.81

$0.57 NT$18.16

36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NT$182

$9.21 NT$293

-37.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.66

$1.02 NT$32.55

3.92%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$33.5K NT$1.1M

-0.91%

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

$23.1K NT$735.7K

$23.0K NT$733.0K

0.38%

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

$84.7 NT$2,695

$106 NT$3,387

-20.46%

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

$17.10 NT$544

$14.93 NT$475

14.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$820

$17.36 NT$553

48.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 NT$1,293

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$329

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NT$349

$9.94 NT$316

10.16%

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

$474 NT$15.1K

$344 NT$11.0K

37.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$444.4K

$16.8K NT$534.9K

-16.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 NT$3,007

$67.5 NT$2,148

39.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 NT$1,069

$35.61 NT$1,134

-5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 NT$2,753

$55.8 NT$1,777

54.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NT$3,176

$109 NT$3,474

-8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NT$13.0K

$460 NT$14.6K

-11.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$9,042

$253 NT$8,048

12.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.8K

$880 NT$28.0K

13.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 NT$21.3K

$721 NT$22.9K

-7.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,684 NT$149.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 NT$100.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,439 NT$45.8K

$2,344 NT$74.6K

-38.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.1

21.90%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kaohsiung and $460 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $32.00 in Zhongli City. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $310, with Zhongli City 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $977 including rent). Zhongli City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% 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: $407 in Kaohsiung versus $460 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Kaohsiung versus $344 in Zhongli City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $977 in Zhongli City versus $1,107 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 13% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.