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: $1,802 in Malaga versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,698 in Malaga versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,593 in Malaga versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Malaga is roughly 57% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Malaga is 34% above, Kaohsiung is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.88 €11.95

$4.03 NT$127

244.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$33.84 NT$1,066

91.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €7.80

$5.54 NT$174

63.54%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.95

$3.08 NT$96.9

-26.62%

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

$2.37 €2.04

$1.02 NT$32.04

132.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$0.78 NT$24.43

142.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.07

$1.72 NT$54.1

107.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 €3.82

$2.77 NT$87.2

60.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$3.62 NT$114

-66.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.05 NT$64.6

-32.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.76 NT$86.9

-37.68%

Eggs

$2.68 €2.31

$3.21 NT$101

-16.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.29 €13.17

$15.85 NT$499

-3.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.41 €6.38

$9.05 NT$285

-18.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.87 €11.94

$17.92 NT$565

-22.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$6.00 NT$189

-57.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.58 NT$81.3

-26.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.77 NT$87.2

-43.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.08

$4.15 NT$131

-41.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.99 NT$94.1

-38.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.21 NT$69.8

-10.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.94 NT$61.2

-40.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$1.16 NT$36.47

-37.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.41

$4.34 NT$137

44.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.13 €5.28

$15.85 NT$499

-61.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$1.73 NT$54.6

-29.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.54 NT$80.0

-3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.82 NT$25.73

95.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 €25.57

$26.88 NT$847

10.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.87

$2.95 NT$93.1

52.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.88

$0.73 NT$22.99

41.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.82 €24.82

$5.98 NT$188

381.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.04 NT$32.76

76.92%

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

$39.1K €33.6K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

15.28%

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

$30.7K €26.4K

$25.1K NT$791.6K

22.05%

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

$134 €115

$104 NT$3,268

28.75%

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

$17.64 €15.19

$25.58 NT$806

-31.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.28 €25.21

$25.14 NT$792

16.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.13 €40.58

$38.16 NT$1,202

23.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.76 €14.44

$11.48 NT$362

45.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.48 €9.02

$10.07 NT$317

4.07%

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

$461 €397

$431 NT$13.6K

7.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,996 €8,607

$11.4K NT$358.6K

-12.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 €69.2

$94.9 NT$2,989

-15.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.19 €34.61

$35.33 NT$1,113

13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 €77.4

$91.4 NT$2,880

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €101

$101 NT$3,173

16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 €1,020

$432 NT$13.6K

174.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 €752

$282 NT$8,873

209.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 €1,797

$940 NT$29.6K

121.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 €1,323

$681 NT$21.4K

125.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,222 €4,497

$4,727 NT$148.9K

10.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,014 €2,596

$3,275 NT$103.2K

-7.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,954 €1,683

$1,509 NT$47.6K

29.46%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,185 in Malaga and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 29% 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 $257 vs $385, 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 57% in total monthly costs ($1,802 vs $1,149 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Malaga pays 29% more on average, 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: $1,185 in Malaga versus $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $461 in Malaga versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Malaga pay roughly 50% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,802 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 57% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.