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: $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,119 in Zhubei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Kaohsiung versus $2,029 in Zhubei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Kaohsiung versus $2,940 in Zhubei City.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 3% more expensive than Zhubei City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Zhubei City 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$4.96 NT$156

-18.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,066

$34.24 NT$1,079

-1.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$174

$5.67 NT$179

-2.29%

Cappuccino

$3.08 NT$96.9

$3.70 NT$117

-16.76%

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

$1.02 NT$32.04

$0.98 NT$30.98

4.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.43

$0.63 NT$19.84

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 NT$54.1

$2.26 NT$71.3

-23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$2.69 NT$84.9

2.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 NT$114

$3.25 NT$102

11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$64.6

$1.99 NT$62.8

3.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$86.9

$4.34 NT$137

-36.41%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$101

$3.02 NT$95.0

6.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 NT$499

$13.73 NT$433

15.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NT$285

$8.74 NT$275

3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 NT$565

$27.81 NT$876

-35.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$4.38 NT$138

36.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.3

$2.58 NT$81.2

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$2.78 NT$87.5

-0.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$3.95 NT$124

5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.1

$4.02 NT$127

-25.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.8

$2.53 NT$79.9

-12.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$2.65 NT$83.4

-26.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.47

$1.39 NT$43.65

-16.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$137

$4.17 NT$131

4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 NT$499

$9.15 NT$288

73.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.6

$1.57 NT$49.58

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$80.0

$2.70 NT$85.0

-5.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.73

$0.65 NT$20.40

26.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 NT$847

$38.26 NT$1,205

-29.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.1

$3.40 NT$107

-13.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.99

$0.63 NT$19.78

15.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 NT$188

$10.19 NT$321

-41.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.76

$1.03 NT$32.42

0.97%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$41.8K NT$1.3M

-19.03%

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

$25.1K NT$791.6K

$27.2K NT$856.5K

-7.57%

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

$104 NT$3,268

$93.0 NT$2,930

11.53%

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

$25.58 NT$806

$33.79 NT$1,064

-24.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 NT$792

$24.60 NT$775

2.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 NT$1,202

$34.24 NT$1,079

11.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 NT$362

$15.27 NT$481

-24.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 NT$317

$11.76 NT$370

-14.37%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$690 NT$21.7K

-37.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K NT$358.6K

$15.2K NT$479.7K

-25.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NT$2,989

$85.4 NT$2,690

11.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 NT$1,113

$47.83 NT$1,507

-26.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NT$2,880

$99.9 NT$3,147

-8.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,173

$115 NT$3,617

-12.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$427 NT$13.4K

1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,873

$212 NT$6,690

32.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 NT$29.6K

$1,180 NT$37.2K

-20.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$21.4K

$863 NT$27.2K

-21.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.9K

$16.8K NT$528.0K

-71.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.2K

$9,937 NT$313.1K

-67.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.6K

$2,432 NT$76.6K

-37.95%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zhubei City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Kaohsiung and $427 in Zhubei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 61% 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 $385 vs $394 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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $1,119 including rent). Zhubei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Zhubei City earns 61% 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 $427 in Zhubei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $690 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 $1,119 in Zhubei City versus $1,149 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 3% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.