Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,330 a month against $1,805 in Msida, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Msida, Malta
Taipei, Taiwan
Msida
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,805
/mo nomad
Taipei
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$1,330
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Msida and in Taipei

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Msida and in Taipei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,805 per month in Msida vs $1,330 in Taipei, rent included.

  • Msida $1,805
  • Taipei $1,330

A couple spends around $2,670 per month in Msida vs $2,145 in Taipei, rent included.

  • Msida $2,670
  • Taipei $2,145

A family of three spends $3,536 per month in Msida vs $2,959 in Taipei, rent included.

  • Msida $3,536
  • Taipei $2,959

Msida costs about 36% more than Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Msida sits 33% above the global median, while Taipei is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Msida
Taipei
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.29 €10.08
$4.70 NT$153
140.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.1 €44.69
$46.13 NT$1,502
8.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.72 €9.57
$5.80 NT$189
84.83%
Cappuccino
$2.26 €2.02
$3.37 NT$110
-32.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.91 NT$29.57
148.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.99
$0.66 NT$21.55
66.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.60 €4.11
$2.98 NT$97.0
54.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 €3.08
$3.64 NT$119
-5.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Msida
Taipei
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.95 NT$96.1
-62.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.92 NT$62.7
-29.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.46 €3.98
$3.10 NT$101
43.87%
Eggs
$2.65 €2.36
$2.62 NT$85.2
1.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.48 €7.57
$19.04 NT$620
-55.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.44 €9.31
$9.54 NT$311
9.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.08 €16.13
$20.87 NT$680
-13.37%
Apples (1kg)
$4.27 €3.81
$4.72 NT$154
-9.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 €2.53
$3.33 NT$109
-14.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.69 €3.29
$2.95 NT$96.0
25.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.32 €2.96
$4.26 NT$139
-22.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 €1.97
$2.75 NT$89.7
-19.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$2.22 NT$72.4
-14.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.35 €2.10
$1.66 NT$54.0
41.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.08 NT$35.04
19.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$3.95 NT$128
66.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.08 €7.21
$13.89 NT$452
-41.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 €1.53
$1.58 NT$51.6
8.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.14
$2.18 NT$70.9
10.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Msida
Taipei
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.18 €1.95
$0.58 NT$18.96
275.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$36.25 NT$1,180
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 €4.86
$2.54 NT$82.6
114.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.17 €1.94
$0.75 NT$24.41
189.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.80 €23.91
$8.99 NT$293
198.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 €1.33
$1.00 NT$32.58
49.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.1K €33.1K
$34.6K NT$1.1M
7.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K €35.4K
$23.0K NT$749.9K
72.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
Taipei
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 €75.6
$85.6 NT$2,787
-0.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.53 €22.78
$16.94 NT$552
50.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.62 €24.64
$26.94 NT$877
2.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Msida
Taipei
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.3 €50.3
$39.55 NT$1,288
42.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$15.36 NT$500
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.96 €8.89
$9.72 NT$316
2.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Msida
Taipei
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$363 €324
$710 NT$23.1K
-48.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K €9,770
$16.3K NT$532.1K
-32.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Msida
Taipei
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 €76.7
$62.0 NT$2,019
38.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.84 €35.55
$39.30 NT$1,280
1.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.3 €87.7
$84.1 NT$2,738
16.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.6 €70.1
$102 NT$3,312
-22.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Msida
Taipei
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,048 €935
$961 NT$31.3K
9.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$917 €818
$456 NT$14.8K
101.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,823 €1,627
$1,511 NT$49.2K
20.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,485 €1,325
$919 NT$29.9K
61.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$11.4K NT$371.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,882 NT$224.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Msida
Taipei
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,734 €2,440
$1,703 NT$55.5K
60.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
2.4
20.83%

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

Last update for Msida: October 26, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Msida
$917
Taipei
$456 50.3% $461
Groceries & Markets
Msida
$320
Taipei
$388 21.4% $68
Eating Out
Msida
$193
Taipei
$124 35.8% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
$138
Taipei
$129 6.1% $8.5
Clothing & Footwear
Msida
$136
Taipei
$129 5.2% $7
Sport & Entertainment
Msida
$76
Taipei
$59 22.6% $17
Getting Around
Msida
$25 *
Taipei
$45 79.2% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,048 in Msida versus $961 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 61% higher in Msida. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Msida versus $46 in Taipei. Groceries tell a different story – $320 in Msida vs $388 in Taipei – so Msida wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Msida
🇹🇼 Taipei
🕒 Local time
14:44 2:44 PM
21:44 9:44 PM
7 h ahead of Msida
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
2,635,286 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 32.56 TWD (100 TWD = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 36.34 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Msida Taipei 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Msida
  • Taipei

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Taipei cheaper than Msida?
Yes – Msida is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,707 per month in Msida and $1,995 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Msida and Taipei?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,048 in Msida and $961 in Taipei. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in Msida and in Taipei?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,805 in Msida and $1,330 in Taipei. That makes Taipei about 26% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $363 per month in Msida and $710 in Taipei. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Msida or in Taipei?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taipei, where all-in costs run around $1,330, than in Msida at $1,805. In Taipei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Msida it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Msida or in Taipei?
It depends on your priorities. Msida has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,330 in Taipei to $1,805 in Msida. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Msida or Taipei?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Taipei. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Msida makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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