Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Miaoli and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Miaoli: $794 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Miaoli
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Miaoli Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Miaoli

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$794

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Miaoli and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Miaoli and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $794 per month in Miaoli vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Miaoli $794
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $1,109 per month in Miaoli vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Miaoli $1,109
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $1,425 per month in Miaoli vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Miaoli $1,425
Almaty $2,883

Miaoli is about 43% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Miaoli sits 41% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.46 NT$78.6

$13.31 ₸6,034

-81.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.69 NT$756

$43.37 ₸19.7K

-45.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.69 NT$150

$8.80 ₸3,988

-46.70%

Cappuccino

$3.01 NT$96.1

$3.30 ₸1,497

-8.79%

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

$0.86 NT$27.33

$1.37 ₸620

-37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 NT$16.97

$0.90 ₸409

-41.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 NT$39.22

$3.13 ₸1,419

-60.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 NT$43.36

$4.10 ₸1,860

-66.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.69 NT$86.0

$1.66 ₸754

62.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NT$39.79

$0.90 ₸406

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.7

$2.06 ₸933

32.04%

Eggs

$2.21 NT$70.5

$2.37 ₸1,074

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 NT$295

$12.64 ₸5,730

-26.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.54 NT$241

$6.62 ₸3,000

13.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.84 NT$697

$10.87 ₸4,928

100.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 NT$119

$1.86 ₸845

101.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NT$63.2

$2.37 ₸1,075

-16.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 NT$97.3

$2.99 ₸1,358

2.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 NT$98.5

$2.83 ₸1,282

9.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NT$78.9

$0.77 ₸347

220.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$65.2

$0.58 ₸264

251.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$73.5

$1.59 ₸723

44.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 NT$27.78

$0.99 ₸449

-12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 NT$129

$2.54 ₸1,153

59.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 NT$351

$11.04 ₸5,005

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 NT$47.39

$1.21 ₸550

23.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 NT$66.5

$2.41 ₸1,093

-13.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₸113

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.84 ₸9,901

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 NT$92.6

$1.28 ₸581

126.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$23.97

$0.64 ₸291

17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.05 NT$225

$10.74 ₸4,870

-34.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.92

$0.69 ₸314

49.28%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$22.3K ₸10.1M

49.39%

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

$23.8K NT$758.4K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-18.99%

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

$69.0 NT$2,201

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-21.41%

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

$18.41 NT$587

$10.83 ₸4,909

69.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.34 NT$713

$17.40 ₸7,887

28.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 ₸31.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 ₸12.1K

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 NT$350

$6.68 ₸3,031

64.22%

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

$517 NT$16.5K

$446 ₸202.2K

16.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K NT$1.0M

$11.9K ₸5.4M

167.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.55 NT$400

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-86.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.14 NT$802

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-46.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.8 NT$2,036

$143 ₸64.7K

-55.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 NT$3,172

$133 ₸60.5K

-25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 NT$6,917

$773 ₸350.6K

-71.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 NT$5,030

$497 ₸225.5K

-68.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 ₸630.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 ₸398.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,546 ₸1.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 ₸683.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,500 NT$79.8K

$834 ₸377.9K

199.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.38

20.65

-88.47%

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

Last update for Miaoli: October 6, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Miaoli

$313 39.9%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 19.7% $62

Accommodation & Living

Miaoli

$158 20.1%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 216% $340

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Miaoli

$110 14%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 5.7% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Miaoli

$90 11.5%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 107% $97

Eating Out

Miaoli

$84 10.8%

Almaty

$205 15% 144% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Miaoli

$22 * 2.8%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 279% $61

Getting Around

Miaoli

$6.7 * 0.9%

Almaty

$27 2% 310% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $217 in Miaoli versus $773 in Almaty. 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 200% higher in Miaoli, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Miaoli versus $43.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Miaoli vs $251 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Miaoli

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

22:29 10:29 PM

2 h behind Miaoli

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,892

1,475,400

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.76 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Miaoli Almaty 4,480 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Miaoli
Almaty

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Miaoli vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,191 per month in Miaoli and $2,080 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $794 in Miaoli and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 75%.

Kindergarten costs $517 per month in Miaoli and $446 in Almaty. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Miaoli, where all-in costs run around $794, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Miaoli it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Miaoli – 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 Miaoli. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.