Cost of Living Comparison Between Messina and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Messina and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,438 per month in Messina vs $1,175 in Taichung, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,258 per month in Messina vs $1,977 in Taichung, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,078 per month in Messina vs $2,779 in Taichung, rent included.

Messina costs about 22% more than Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Messina sits 7% above the global median, while Taichung is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.65 €11.74

$5.17 NT$163

164.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €50.1

$30.14 NT$949

93.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 €9.91

$5.48 NT$172

110.40%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.71

$3.03 NT$95.5

-34.32%

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

$2.21 €1.90

$1.16 NT$36.61

90.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$0.86 NT$27.02

41.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.03

$2.19 NT$68.9

61.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.07

$2.93 NT$92.4

21.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$3.86 NT$122

-65.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.74 NT$54.9

19.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.82 NT$88.7

-6.03%

Eggs

$3.33 €2.87

$3.27 NT$103

1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 €8.49

$31.67 NT$997

-68.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 €8.58

$8.26 NT$260

20.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.73 €15.25

$16.07 NT$506

10.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 €2.43

$4.64 NT$146

-39.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.76 NT$55.5

-1.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.26 NT$71.0

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 €2.62

$2.97 NT$93.6

2.36%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 €0.58

$1.27 NT$40.12

-47.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.97 NT$62.1

-36.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.36 NT$74.3

-52.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 €0.34

$1.30 NT$40.95

-69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 €5.56

$3.96 NT$125

63.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$16.23 NT$511

-64.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.71 NT$53.8

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.66 NT$83.7

-7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.94 NT$29.57

80.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.97 €37.82

$28.86 NT$908

52.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 €4.00

$2.92 NT$92.1

59.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.24 NT$38.97

18.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.90 €39.49

$10.25 NT$323

347.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.05 NT$33.02

88.57%

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

$35.6K €30.6K

$34.5K NT$1.1M

3.02%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$26.0K NT$816.9K

9.77%

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

$192 €165

$96.6 NT$3,042

99.02%

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

$14.24 €12.25

$24.51 NT$771

-41.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.42 €23.58

$22.07 NT$695

24.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 €43.05

$36.44 NT$1,147

37.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.30 €14.88

$10.09 NT$318

71.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.26

$10.52 NT$331

-8.75%

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

$351 €302

$355 NT$11.2K

-1.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K €9,188

$20.9K NT$656.8K

-48.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 €76.3

$84.1 NT$2,646

5.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.10 €26.75

$34.06 NT$1,072

-8.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 €78.8

$96.9 NT$3,049

-5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 €111

$130 NT$4,092

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 €543

$379 NT$11.9K

66.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 €399

$292 NT$9,184

58.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 €860

$1,056 NT$33.2K

-5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$879 €756

$731 NT$23.0K

20.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,220 €1,910

$7,297 NT$229.7K

-69.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,752 €1,507

$5,260 NT$165.6K

-66.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,834 €1,578

$1,420 NT$44.7K

29.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

2.18

116.51%

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

Last update for Messina: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $631 in Messina versus $379 in Taichung. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Messina, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Messina versus $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Messina vs $402 in Taichung – so Messina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Messina vs Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Messina costs about 22% more than Taichung, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,157 per month in Messina and $1,762 in Taichung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taichung, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $351 per month in Messina and $355 in Taichung. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 47% cheaper in Messina – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,175, than in Messina at $1,438. In Taichung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Messina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taichung – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Taichung. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Messina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.