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: $899 in Miaoli versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Miaoli versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Miaoli versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Miaoli costs roughly 22% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miaoli 33% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.49 NT$110

$4.03 NT$127

-13.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.88 NT$815

$33.84 NT$1,065

-23.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 NT$158

$5.54 NT$174

-9.21%

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$89.3

$3.08 NT$96.8

-7.79%

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

$1.11 NT$34.88

$1.02 NT$32.01

8.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$21.86

$0.78 NT$24.41

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 NT$53.7

$1.72 NT$54.1

-0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 NT$81.4

$2.77 NT$87.2

-6.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$97.5

$3.62 NT$114

-14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 NT$45.58

$2.05 NT$64.5

-29.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 NT$79.4

$2.76 NT$86.8

-8.70%

Eggs

$2.29 NT$71.9

$3.21 NT$101

-28.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 NT$291

$15.85 NT$499

-41.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 NT$256

$9.05 NT$285

-10.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.58 NT$648

$17.92 NT$564

14.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NT$105

$6.00 NT$189

-44.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NT$32.67

$2.58 NT$81.2

-59.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 NT$85.2

$2.77 NT$87.1

-2.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 NT$95.9

$4.15 NT$131

-26.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NT$75.4

$2.99 NT$94.0

-20.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$59.7

$2.21 NT$69.7

-14.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$1.94 NT$61.2

47.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 NT$29.16

$1.16 NT$36.44

-19.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 NT$203

$4.34 NT$137

48.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 NT$352

$15.85 NT$499

-29.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NT$58.3

$1.73 NT$54.5

6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$74.5

$2.54 NT$80.0

-6.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$27.54

$0.82 NT$25.70

6.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.63 NT$1,247

$26.88 NT$846

47.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 NT$94.3

$2.95 NT$93.0

1.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.84

$0.73 NT$22.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 NT$260

$5.98 NT$188

37.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.64

$1.04 NT$32.73

2.88%

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

$36.6K NT$1.2M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

8.03%

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

$26.2K NT$823.6K

$25.1K NT$790.9K

4.12%

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

$64.4 NT$2,027

$104 NT$3,265

-37.91%

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

$28.45 NT$895

$25.58 NT$805

11.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.94 NT$596

$25.14 NT$791

-24.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.89 NT$1,161

$38.16 NT$1,201

-3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 NT$473

$11.48 NT$361

30.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 NT$321

$10.07 NT$317

1.39%

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

$566 NT$17.8K

$431 NT$13.6K

31.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K NT$958.1K

$11.4K NT$358.3K

167.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.72 NT$999

$94.9 NT$2,987

-66.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 NT$748

$35.33 NT$1,112

-32.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 NT$2,166

$91.4 NT$2,878

-24.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,233

$101 NT$3,170

1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 NT$10.9K

$432 NT$13.6K

-20.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 NT$5,279

$282 NT$8,866

-40.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 NT$32.7K

$940 NT$29.6K

10.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 NT$23.0K

$681 NT$21.4K

7.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,471 NT$77.8K

$1,509 NT$47.5K

63.72%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Miaoli and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Miaoli vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $385 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 28% in total monthly costs ($899 vs $1,149 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Miaoli pays 64% 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: $345 in Miaoli versus $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $566 in Miaoli versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,149 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 28% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.