Cost of Living Comparison Between Miaoli and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Miaoli and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Miaoli versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,619 in Miaoli versus $1,952 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,351 in Miaoli versus $2,719 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Miaoli costs roughly 25% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miaoli 34% lower, Kaohsiung 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 NT$106

$4.12 NT$133

-20.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.96 NT$807

$33.84 NT$1,093

-26.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 NT$161

$5.39 NT$174

-7.61%

Cappuccino

$2.79 NT$90.1

$2.96 NT$95.8

-5.74%

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

$1.17 NT$37.72

$0.98 NT$31.80

19.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.14

$0.76 NT$24.57

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 NT$53.0

$1.74 NT$56.1

-5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 NT$83.8

$2.70 NT$87.2

-4.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 NT$94.8

$3.55 NT$115

-17.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 NT$44.93

$1.97 NT$63.8

-29.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 NT$77.7

$2.63 NT$85.0

-8.75%

Eggs

$2.21 NT$71.3

$3.21 NT$104

-31.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 NT$297

$15.90 NT$514

-42.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 NT$261

$9.50 NT$307

-15.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.70 NT$669

$17.68 NT$571

17.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 NT$106

$6.13 NT$198

-46.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NT$33.56

$2.55 NT$82.6

-59.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 NT$87.9

$2.82 NT$91.0

-3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.1

$4.03 NT$130

-25.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.7

$2.96 NT$95.6

-20.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.5

$2.25 NT$72.7

-15.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 NT$96.1

$1.89 NT$61.0

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.51

$1.15 NT$37.18

-20.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 NT$214

$4.31 NT$139

53.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 NT$356

$15.26 NT$493

-27.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$56.6

$1.71 NT$55.4

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NT$75.7

$2.56 NT$82.8

-8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$28.21

$0.88 NT$28.29

-1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.24 NT$1,236

$27.22 NT$880

40.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 NT$100

$2.86 NT$92.4

8.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.52

$0.77 NT$24.96

2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 NT$259

$6.28 NT$203

27.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.13

$1.03 NT$33.20

2.91%

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

$36.9K NT$1.2M

$34.1K NT$1.1M

8.29%

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

$26.8K NT$866.6K

$24.9K NT$805.6K

7.57%

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

$64.7 NT$2,092

$104 NT$3,372

-37.97%

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

$28.54 NT$922

$24.88 NT$804

14.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 NT$628

$25.03 NT$809

-22.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.32 NT$1,206

$39.26 NT$1,269

-4.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 NT$485

$11.20 NT$362

34.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 NT$332

$10.35 NT$334

-0.77%

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

$584 NT$18.9K

$422 NT$13.6K

38.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K NT$972.9K

$11.2K NT$361.7K

169.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.87 NT$1,030

$95.4 NT$3,082

-66.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.09 NT$778

$35.24 NT$1,139

-31.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 NT$2,155

$88.6 NT$2,863

-24.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,251

$103 NT$3,323

-2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 NT$10.8K

$437 NT$14.1K

-23.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 NT$5,578

$274 NT$8,865

-37.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NT$33.0K

$933 NT$30.1K

9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 NT$23.9K

$704 NT$22.7K

5.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,442 NT$78.9K

$1,502 NT$48.5K

62.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

-13.04%

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

Last update for Miaoli: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $335 in Miaoli and $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Miaoli vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $383 per month, with Miaoli cheaper across the board.

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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miaoli and Kaohsiung differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($888 vs $1,186 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Miaoli, 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: $335 in Miaoli versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Miaoli versus $422 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Miaoli versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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, Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.