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: $899 in Miaoli versus $1,175 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Miaoli versus $1,977 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Miaoli versus $2,779 in Taichung.

Living in Miaoli costs roughly 23% less than in Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Miaoli 33% lower, Taichung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.49 NT$110

$5.17 NT$163

-32.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.88 NT$815

$30.14 NT$949

-14.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 NT$158

$5.48 NT$172

-8.21%

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$89.3

$3.03 NT$95.5

-6.27%

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

$1.11 NT$34.88

$1.16 NT$36.61

-4.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$21.86

$0.86 NT$27.02

-19.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 NT$53.7

$2.19 NT$68.9

-21.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 NT$81.4

$2.93 NT$92.4

-11.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$97.5

$3.86 NT$122

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 NT$45.58

$1.74 NT$54.9

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 NT$79.4

$2.82 NT$88.7

-10.64%

Eggs

$2.29 NT$71.9

$3.27 NT$103

-29.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 NT$291

$31.67 NT$997

-70.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 NT$256

$8.26 NT$260

-1.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.58 NT$648

$16.07 NT$506

28.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NT$105

$4.64 NT$146

-28.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NT$32.67

$1.76 NT$55.5

-40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 NT$85.2

$2.26 NT$71.0

19.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 NT$95.9

$2.97 NT$93.6

2.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NT$75.4

$1.27 NT$40.12

88.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$59.7

$1.97 NT$62.1

-3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$2.36 NT$74.3

21.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 NT$29.16

$1.30 NT$40.95

-28.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 NT$203

$3.96 NT$125

63.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 NT$352

$16.23 NT$511

-31.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NT$58.3

$1.71 NT$53.8

8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$74.5

$2.66 NT$83.7

-10.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$27.54

$0.94 NT$29.57

-7.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.63 NT$1,247

$28.86 NT$908

37.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 NT$94.3

$2.92 NT$92.1

2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.84

$1.24 NT$38.97

-41.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 NT$260

$10.25 NT$323

-19.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.64

$1.05 NT$33.02

1.90%

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

$36.6K NT$1.2M

$34.5K NT$1.1M

5.95%

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

$26.2K NT$823.6K

$26.0K NT$816.9K

0.81%

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

$64.4 NT$2,027

$96.6 NT$3,042

-33.36%

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

$28.45 NT$895

$24.51 NT$771

16.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.94 NT$596

$22.07 NT$695

-14.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.89 NT$1,161

$36.44 NT$1,147

1.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 NT$473

$10.09 NT$318

48.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 NT$321

$10.52 NT$331

-2.95%

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

$566 NT$17.8K

$355 NT$11.2K

59.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K NT$958.1K

$20.9K NT$656.8K

45.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.72 NT$999

$84.1 NT$2,646

-62.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 NT$748

$34.06 NT$1,072

-30.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 NT$2,166

$96.9 NT$3,049

-28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,233

$130 NT$4,092

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 NT$10.9K

$379 NT$11.9K

-8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 NT$5,279

$292 NT$9,184

-42.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 NT$32.7K

$1,056 NT$33.2K

-1.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 NT$23.0K

$731 NT$23.0K

-0.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,471 NT$77.8K

$1,420 NT$44.7K

74.06%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Miaoli and $379 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 74% 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 $30.00 in Taichung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $402 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 31% in total monthly costs ($899 vs $1,175 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Miaoli pays 74% 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 $379 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% 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 $26.00 versus $30.00 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,175 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 31% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.