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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,140 in Zhubei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Kaohsiung versus $2,070 in Zhubei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,719 in Kaohsiung versus $3,001 in Zhubei City.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 4% more expensive than in Zhubei City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 11% lower, Zhubei City 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 NT$133

$5.19 NT$167

-20.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,092

$34.12 NT$1,101

-0.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$174

$5.68 NT$183

-5.11%

Cappuccino

$2.96 NT$95.7

$3.56 NT$115

-16.85%

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

$0.98 NT$31.76

$0.91 NT$29.22

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.54

$0.62 NT$20.02

22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 NT$56.0

$2.24 NT$72.2

-22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$87.1

$2.76 NT$88.9

-2.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.55 NT$115

$3.11 NT$100

14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$63.7

$2.06 NT$66.4

-4.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$84.9

$4.34 NT$140

-39.40%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$104

$2.91 NT$93.9

10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.90 NT$513

$13.84 NT$447

14.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NT$307

$8.46 NT$273

12.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 NT$571

$28.32 NT$914

-37.57%

Apples (1kg)

$6.13 NT$198

$4.34 NT$140

41.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 NT$82.5

$2.63 NT$85.0

-3.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 NT$90.9

$2.73 NT$88.0

3.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$3.91 NT$126

3.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 NT$95.5

$4.04 NT$131

-26.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$72.6

$2.53 NT$81.6

-11.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NT$61.0

$2.64 NT$85.3

-28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.14

$1.33 NT$42.79

-13.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 NT$139

$3.97 NT$128

8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 NT$493

$8.74 NT$282

74.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.57 NT$50.7

8.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.7

$2.83 NT$91.4

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.26

$0.65 NT$21.00

35.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.22 NT$879

$39.36 NT$1,270

-30.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 NT$92.3

$3.35 NT$108

-14.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.93

$0.58 NT$18.88

32.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$203

$10.04 NT$324

-37.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.17

$1.07 NT$34.51

-3.74%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$40.9K NT$1.3M

-16.65%

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

$24.9K NT$804.7K

$27.3K NT$879.5K

-8.50%

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

$104 NT$3,368

$91.7 NT$2,959

13.81%

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

$24.88 NT$803

$33.73 NT$1,088

-26.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.03 NT$808

$24.46 NT$789

2.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.26 NT$1,267

$33.75 NT$1,089

16.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 NT$362

$15.19 NT$490

-26.27%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 NT$334

$11.68 NT$377

-11.39%

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

$422 NT$13.6K

$703 NT$22.7K

-39.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K NT$361.3K

$15.5K NT$500.6K

-27.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 NT$3,079

$84.4 NT$2,724

13.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 NT$1,137

$47.17 NT$1,522

-25.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 NT$2,859

$101 NT$3,251

-12.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,319

$114 NT$3,666

-9.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 NT$14.1K

$438 NT$14.1K

-0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 NT$8,855

$212 NT$6,834

29.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 NT$30.1K

$1,202 NT$38.8K

-22.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 NT$22.7K

$857 NT$27.7K

-17.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.0K

$16.4K NT$527.7K

-72.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.3K

$9,443 NT$304.8K

-67.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,502 NT$48.5K

$2,391 NT$77.2K

-37.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

2.4

-4.17%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Last update for Zhubei City: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Kaohsiung and $438 in Zhubei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 59% 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 $34.00 in Zhubei City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $392 per month, with Kaohsiung 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 Zhubei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Zhubei City differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,186 vs $1,140 including rent). Zhubei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Zhubei 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 $438 in Zhubei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Kaohsiung versus $703 in Zhubei 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 $1,140 in Zhubei City versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhubei City but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Zhubei 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 Zhubei 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 Zhubei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.