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: $2,055 in Malaga versus $1,121 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,006 in Malaga versus $1,819 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,957 in Malaga versus $2,517 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Malaga is roughly 83% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Malaga is 50% above, Kaohsiung is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.05

$5.38 NT$171

224.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 €60.3

$31.67 NT$1,005

120.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €9.96

$4.85 NT$154

137.94%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.48

$2.81 NT$89.1

2.14%

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

$2.83 €2.44

$1.08 NT$34.26

162.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.88

$0.66 NT$20.98

230.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €3.04

$1.56 NT$49.58

125.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 €4.13

$2.46 NT$78.2

94.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$3.18 NT$101

-60.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.17 NT$68.8

-30.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$3.06 NT$97.2

-39.22%

Eggs

$3.55 €3.06

$2.57 NT$81.6

38.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.61 €13.47

$15.63 NT$496

-0.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.12 €7.01

$7.94 NT$252

2.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 €13.42

$15.18 NT$482

2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$6.56 NT$208

-59.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$2.76 NT$87.6

-27.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$2.56 NT$81.1

-28.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$3.09 NT$98.0

-14.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 €1.40

$2.67 NT$84.7

-39.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$2.07 NT$65.6

5.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.38 NT$75.5

-45.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.59

$1.08 NT$34.11

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$4.18 NT$133

62.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.60 €5.69

$15.86 NT$503

-58.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.66 NT$52.8

-25.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.24 NT$71.1

4.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.74 NT$23.41

124.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.71 €23.91

$12.69 NT$402

118.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.63 NT$83.4

-23.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.04

$0.76 NT$24.00

59.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.43 €20.22

$5.54 NT$176

322.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.04 NT$32.99

72.12%

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

$37.1K €32.0K

$34.2K NT$1.1M

8.30%

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

$30.6K €26.4K

$23.9K NT$759.4K

27.83%

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

$162 €140

$86.3 NT$2,739

87.91%

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

$10.55 €9.10

$17.06 NT$541

-38.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.94 €23.24

$26.21 NT$831

2.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.63 €40.24

$40.20 NT$1,275

16.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 €16.40

$10.70 NT$339

77.57%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 €8.64

$11.24 NT$357

-10.85%

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

$859 €741

$465 NT$14.7K

84.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,295

$14.3K NT$455.2K

-24.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €81.1

$92.7 NT$2,941

1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.49 €34.94

$33.78 NT$1,072

19.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 €74.0

$86.7 NT$2,750

-1.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €94.1

$101 NT$3,203

7.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 €1,310

$411 NT$13.0K

269.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €920

$280 NT$8,899

279.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 €2,196

$985 NT$31.3K

158.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 €1,456

$688 NT$21.8K

145.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,072 €4,377

$4,665 NT$148.0K

8.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,057 €2,637

$3,188 NT$101.1K

-4.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,974 €1,704

$1,434 NT$45.5K

37.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

2.56

29.30%

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

Last update for Malaga: September 1, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,518 in Malaga and $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 38% 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: $70.0 in Malaga vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $362, 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 83% in total monthly costs ($2,055 vs $1,121 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,518 in Malaga versus $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $859 in Malaga versus $465 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Malaga pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $2,055 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 83% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.