Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Msida vs $1,494 in Taipei, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,830 per month in Msida vs $2,394 in Taipei, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,773 per month in Msida vs $3,295 in Taipei, rent included.

Msida costs about 26% more than Taipei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Msida and Taipei sit above the global median – Msida by 41%, Taipei by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.49 €9.90

$6.64 NT$209

73.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €58.8

$40.45 NT$1,274

68.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.24 €9.68

$5.79 NT$183

94.13%

Cappuccino

$2.35 €2.02

$3.75 NT$118

-37.33%

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

$1.70 €1.46

$1.13 NT$35.45

50.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.72 NT$22.77

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 €3.47

$3.31 NT$104

21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 €3.51

$3.30 NT$104

23.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$3.12 NT$98.3

-57.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.98 NT$62.4

-33.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.05

$3.07 NT$96.6

15.31%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.39

$2.91 NT$91.8

35.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 €8.12

$19.73 NT$621

-52.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 €7.64

$9.90 NT$312

-10.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €13.06

$20.36 NT$641

-25.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 €3.73

$5.15 NT$162

-15.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 €2.75

$2.92 NT$91.9

9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.89 NT$90.9

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 €3.27

$4.26 NT$134

-11.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.79 NT$88.0

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.19 NT$69.1

-38.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.97 NT$62.1

22.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.39 NT$43.76

-13.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.62 €5.70

$4.00 NT$126

65.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.44 €7.27

$14.48 NT$456

-41.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.75 NT$55.2

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.42 NT$76.2

-4.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.73

$0.89 NT$28.07

124.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 €26.09

$41.16 NT$1,297

-26.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €4.95

$2.91 NT$91.7

97.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.08 €3.51

$0.79 NT$24.97

416.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.59 €41.84

$10.05 NT$316

383.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.07 NT$33.66

46.73%

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

$38.2K €32.9K

$38.1K NT$1.2M

0.04%

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

$38.3K €33.0K

$27.9K NT$878.4K

37.49%

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

$85.9 €74.0

$84.9 NT$2,675

1.15%

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

$27.84 €23.97

$18.69 NT$589

48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.07 €27.62

$24.75 NT$780

29.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.75 €34.23

$42.03 NT$1,324

-5.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.09 €19.88

$14.06 NT$443

64.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 €9.07

$11.84 NT$373

-11.06%

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

$774 €666

$626 NT$19.7K

23.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K €9,491

$18.6K NT$587.0K

-40.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €78.6

$58.9 NT$1,856

54.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.29 €32.97

$34.01 NT$1,072

12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.3

$95.1 NT$2,997

10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €87.7

$124 NT$3,894

-17.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 €947

$789 NT$24.8K

39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €811

$541 NT$17.0K

74.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 €1,738

$1,667 NT$52.5K

21.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 €1,328

$1,113 NT$35.1K

38.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$431.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,846 €2,451

$1,713 NT$54.0K

66.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

2.19

131.96%

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

Last update for Msida: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,100 in Msida versus $789 in Taipei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 66% higher in Msida, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Msida versus $40.00 in Taipei. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Msida vs $401 in Taipei – so Msida wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Msida vs Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Msida is pricier by about 26%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,831 per month in Msida and $2,240 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taipei, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Msida – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Msida and $40.00 in Taipei. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taipei, where all-in costs run around $1,494, than in Msida at $1,887. In Taipei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Msida it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taipei – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Taipei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Msida makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.