Cost of Living Comparison Between Miaoli and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Miaoli and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $899 in Miaoli versus $1,494 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,651 in Miaoli versus $2,394 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,404 in Miaoli versus $3,295 in Taipei.

Living in Miaoli costs roughly 40% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Miaoli is 33% below, Taipei is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.49 NT$110

$6.64 NT$209

-47.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.88 NT$815

$40.45 NT$1,273

-36.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 NT$158

$5.79 NT$182

-13.13%

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$89.3

$3.75 NT$118

-24.27%

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

$1.11 NT$34.88

$1.13 NT$35.42

-1.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$21.86

$0.72 NT$22.75

-4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 NT$53.7

$3.31 NT$104

-48.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 NT$81.4

$3.30 NT$104

-21.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$97.5

$3.12 NT$98.2

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 NT$45.58

$1.98 NT$62.3

-26.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 NT$79.4

$3.07 NT$96.5

-17.92%

Eggs

$2.29 NT$71.9

$2.91 NT$91.7

-21.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 NT$291

$19.73 NT$621

-53.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 NT$256

$9.90 NT$311

-17.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.58 NT$648

$20.36 NT$641

1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 NT$105

$5.15 NT$162

-35.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NT$32.67

$2.92 NT$91.8

-64.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 NT$85.2

$2.89 NT$90.8

-6.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 NT$95.9

$4.26 NT$134

-28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NT$75.4

$2.79 NT$88.0

-14.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$59.7

$2.19 NT$69.1

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$1.97 NT$62.1

45.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 NT$29.16

$1.39 NT$43.72

-33.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 NT$203

$4.00 NT$126

61.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 NT$352

$14.48 NT$456

-22.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 NT$58.3

$1.75 NT$55.1

5.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$74.5

$2.42 NT$76.2

-2.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$27.54

$0.89 NT$28.05

-2.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.63 NT$1,247

$41.16 NT$1,296

-3.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 NT$94.3

$2.91 NT$91.6

3.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.84

$0.79 NT$24.94

-7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.25 NT$260

$10.05 NT$316

-17.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.64

$1.07 NT$33.63

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

$36.6K NT$1.2M

$38.1K NT$1.2M

-4.06%

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

$26.2K NT$823.6K

$27.9K NT$877.6K

-6.16%

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

$64.4 NT$2,027

$84.9 NT$2,672

-24.15%

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

$28.45 NT$895

$18.69 NT$588

52.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.94 NT$596

$24.75 NT$779

-23.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.89 NT$1,161

$42.03 NT$1,323

-12.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 NT$473

$14.06 NT$443

6.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.21 NT$321

$11.84 NT$373

-13.77%

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

$566 NT$17.8K

$626 NT$19.7K

-9.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K NT$958.1K

$18.6K NT$586.5K

63.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.72 NT$999

$58.9 NT$1,855

-46.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.77 NT$748

$34.01 NT$1,071

-30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 NT$2,166

$95.1 NT$2,995

-27.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,233

$124 NT$3,891

-16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 NT$10.9K

$789 NT$24.8K

-56.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 NT$5,279

$541 NT$17.0K

-69.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 NT$32.7K

$1,667 NT$52.5K

-37.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 NT$23.0K

$1,113 NT$35.0K

-34.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$430.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,471 NT$77.8K

$1,713 NT$53.9K

44.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

-8.68%

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

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Miaoli and $789 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 44% 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 $40.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $401 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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miaoli and Taipei differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($899 vs $1,494 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Miaoli pays 44% 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 $789 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Taipei. 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 $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,494 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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 Taipei 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 66% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.