Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,239 in New Taipei City versus $1,107 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,038 in New Taipei City versus $1,829 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,837 in New Taipei City versus $2,551 in Kaohsiung.

Living in New Taipei City is roughly 12% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: New Taipei City 9% lower, Kaohsiung 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 NT$150

$5.50 NT$175

-14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.51 NT$1,003

$32.11 NT$1,023

-1.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 NT$167

$4.83 NT$154

8.28%

Cappuccino

$2.24 NT$71.3

$2.81 NT$89.6

-20.28%

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

$0.88 NT$28.06

$1.08 NT$34.50

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$17.95

$0.67 NT$21.34

-16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 NT$53.3

$1.48 NT$47.04

12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$78.1

$2.55 NT$81.2

-3.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 NT$98.2

$3.25 NT$103

-5.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 NT$57.8

$2.27 NT$72.3

-19.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 NT$70.0

$3.03 NT$96.6

-27.39%

Eggs

$2.19 NT$69.6

$2.69 NT$85.8

-18.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.19 NT$802

$15.37 NT$490

63.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 NT$338

$7.86 NT$250

34.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 NT$603

$15.16 NT$483

24.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 NT$131

$6.54 NT$208

-36.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NT$77.8

$2.78 NT$88.6

-12.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 NT$89.7

$2.52 NT$80.4

11.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$127

$3.13 NT$99.6

27.48%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 NT$128

$2.71 NT$86.3

48.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NT$66.1

$2.04 NT$65.0

1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 NT$52.1

$2.35 NT$74.9

-30.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NT$33.18

$1.07 NT$34.21

-2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 NT$142

$4.07 NT$130

9.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 NT$283

$15.91 NT$507

-44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 NT$47.31

$1.59 NT$50.8

-6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NT$64.0

$2.15 NT$68.6

-6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.20

$0.75 NT$23.73

9.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.92 NT$1,208

$12.42 NT$396

205.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 NT$89.9

$2.73 NT$86.9

3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 NT$31.63

$0.78 NT$24.83

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.69 NT$309

$5.73 NT$183

69.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.02

$1.06 NT$33.68

-4.72%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$33.2K NT$1.1M

2.09%

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

$24.4K NT$776.1K

$23.1K NT$736.2K

5.43%

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

$112 NT$3,560

$84.7 NT$2,696

32.04%

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

$16.69 NT$532

$17.10 NT$545

-2.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.96 NT$731

$25.77 NT$821

-10.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 NT$1,251

$40.62 NT$1,294

-3.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 NT$248

$10.32 NT$329

-24.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 NT$402

$10.95 NT$349

15.43%

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

$650 NT$20.7K

$474 NT$15.1K

37.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K NT$676.5K

$14.0K NT$444.6K

52.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.16 NT$1,120

$94.5 NT$3,009

-62.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.25 NT$995

$33.58 NT$1,069

-6.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 NT$2,987

$86.5 NT$2,755

8.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 NT$3,164

$99.8 NT$3,178

-0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 NT$20.6K

$407 NT$13.0K

58.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 NT$10.8K

$284 NT$9,048

19.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 NT$44.5K

$998 NT$31.8K

39.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 NT$29.5K

$670 NT$21.3K

38.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K NT$394.5K

$4,684 NT$149.2K

164.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,248 NT$230.9K

$3,170 NT$101.0K

128.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,391 NT$44.3K

$1,439 NT$45.8K

-3.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.81

2.56

9.77%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $646 in New Taipei City and $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in New Taipei City vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $363, with Kaohsiung cheaper for home cooking.

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

New Taipei City vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City and Kaohsiung differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,239 vs $1,107 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Kaohsiung. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $646 in New Taipei City versus $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $650 in New Taipei City versus $474 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in New Taipei City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,239 in New Taipei City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in New Taipei City. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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, New Taipei City and Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.