Cost of Living Comparison Between Miaoli and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Miaoli and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Miaoli versus $1,180 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,619 in Miaoli versus $1,966 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,351 in Miaoli versus $2,752 in Taichung.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Miaoli 34% lower, Taichung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 NT$106

$4.99 NT$161

-34.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.96 NT$808

$30.18 NT$977

-17.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 NT$161

$5.31 NT$172

-6.21%

Cappuccino

$2.79 NT$90.3

$2.91 NT$94.2

-4.12%

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

$1.17 NT$37.78

$1.15 NT$37.31

1.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.18

$0.84 NT$27.05

-10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 NT$53.1

$2.08 NT$67.3

-21.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 NT$83.9

$2.86 NT$92.7

-9.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 NT$95.0

$3.91 NT$127

-25.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 NT$45.00

$1.76 NT$56.9

-21.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 NT$77.8

$2.78 NT$89.9

-13.67%

Eggs

$2.21 NT$71.4

$3.14 NT$102

-29.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 NT$297

$31.84 NT$1,030

-71.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 NT$261

$8.23 NT$267

-1.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.70 NT$670

$15.91 NT$515

30.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 NT$106

$4.68 NT$152

-29.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NT$33.61

$1.73 NT$56.0

-39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 NT$88.0

$2.23 NT$72.1

21.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.2

$3.07 NT$99.2

-2.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.8

$1.29 NT$41.80

81.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.6

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 NT$96.2

$2.36 NT$76.5

25.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.56

$1.24 NT$40.23

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 NT$214

$3.99 NT$129

65.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 NT$357

$15.50 NT$502

-28.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$56.7

$1.65 NT$53.6

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NT$75.9

$2.67 NT$86.3

-12.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$28.26

$0.87 NT$28.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.24 NT$1,238

$28.55 NT$924

33.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 NT$100

$2.94 NT$95.1

5.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.56

$1.19 NT$38.38

-33.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 NT$260

$10.22 NT$331

-21.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.19

$1.06 NT$34.25

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

$36.9K NT$1.2M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

9.73%

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

$26.8K NT$868.0K

$26.4K NT$854.6K

1.57%

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

$64.7 NT$2,095

$95.7 NT$3,096

-32.34%

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

$28.54 NT$924

$24.69 NT$799

15.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.44 NT$629

$21.22 NT$687

-8.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.32 NT$1,208

$35.41 NT$1,146

5.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 NT$486

$10.35 NT$335

45.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 NT$333

$10.85 NT$351

-5.35%

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

$584 NT$18.9K

$357 NT$11.6K

63.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K NT$974.5K

$20.8K NT$672.3K

44.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.87 NT$1,032

$85.9 NT$2,781

-62.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.09 NT$780

$34.53 NT$1,118

-30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.7 NT$2,159

$95.3 NT$3,085

-30.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,257

$131 NT$4,234

-23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 NT$10.9K

$377 NT$12.2K

-11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$173 NT$5,587

$281 NT$9,102

-38.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NT$33.1K

$1,044 NT$33.8K

-2.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 NT$23.9K

$727 NT$23.5K

1.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,208 NT$233.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,156 NT$166.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,442 NT$79.0K

$1,392 NT$45.1K

75.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

-8.26%

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

Last update for Miaoli: July 13, 2026

Last update for Taichung: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $335 in Miaoli and $377 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 75% 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 $30.00 in Taichung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $400 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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miaoli and Taichung differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($888 vs $1,180 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 75% 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 $377 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Taichung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $30.00 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Miaoli versus $1,180 in Taichung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Taichung. 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 Taichung 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 33% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.