Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Malaga and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,824 in Malaga versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,754 in Malaga versus $1,952 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,683 in Malaga versus $2,719 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Malaga is roughly 54% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Malaga is 37% above, Kaohsiung is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.72 €12.01

$4.12 NT$133

233.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 €56.7

$33.84 NT$1,093

91.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 €8.06

$5.39 NT$174

70.87%

Cappuccino

$2.27 €1.99

$2.96 NT$95.8

-23.31%

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

$2.37 €2.08

$0.98 NT$31.80

141.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.65

$0.76 NT$24.57

147.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.05

$1.74 NT$56.1

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.82

$2.70 NT$87.2

61.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$3.55 NT$115

-67.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.97 NT$63.8

-32.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$2.63 NT$85.0

-34.60%

Eggs

$2.79 €2.44

$3.21 NT$104

-13.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.19 €13.29

$15.90 NT$514

-4.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 €6.52

$9.50 NT$307

-21.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.31 €12.52

$17.68 NT$571

-19.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.24

$6.13 NT$198

-58.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$2.55 NT$82.6

-23.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.44

$2.82 NT$91.0

-41.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.06

$4.03 NT$130

-41.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$2.96 NT$95.6

-39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.25 NT$72.7

-11.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.89 NT$61.0

-39.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$1.15 NT$37.18

-38.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.41 €5.60

$4.31 NT$139

48.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.43 €5.62

$15.26 NT$493

-57.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.07

$1.71 NT$55.4

-28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.56 NT$82.8

-3.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.88 NT$28.29

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.04 €26.28

$27.22 NT$880

10.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 €4.11

$2.86 NT$92.4

64.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.88

$0.77 NT$24.96

31.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 €25.21

$6.28 NT$203

358.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.03 NT$33.20

70.87%

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

$38.9K €34.0K

$34.1K NT$1.1M

14.06%

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

$30.6K €26.8K

$24.9K NT$805.6K

22.91%

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

$138 €120

$104 NT$3,372

31.90%

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

$17.74 €15.52

$24.88 NT$804

-28.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 €25.67

$25.03 NT$809

17.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.28 €41.37

$39.26 NT$1,269

20.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.67 €14.59

$11.20 NT$362

48.84%

Cinema Ticket

$10.58 €9.26

$10.35 NT$334

2.22%

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

$461 €403

$422 NT$13.6K

9.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €9,003

$11.2K NT$361.7K

-8.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 €71.1

$95.4 NT$3,082

-14.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.22

$35.24 NT$1,139

10.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 €78.2

$88.6 NT$2,863

0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €101

$103 NT$3,323

11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,038

$437 NT$14.1K

171.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$876 €767

$274 NT$8,865

219.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 €1,771

$933 NT$30.1K

116.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,335

$704 NT$22.7K

116.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,102 €4,463

$4,554 NT$147.2K

12.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,947 €2,578

$3,076 NT$99.4K

-4.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,973 €1,726

$1,502 NT$48.5K

31.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

2.3

50.43%

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

Last update for Malaga: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Malaga and $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Malaga vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $383, with Malaga 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

Malaga vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malaga and Kaohsiung differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,824 vs $1,186 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Malaga, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,187 in Malaga versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $461 in Malaga versus $422 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Malaga pay roughly 48% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,824 in Malaga, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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, Malaga and Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.