Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Kaohsiung

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaohsiung: $1,141 a month against $1,177 in New Taipei City, rent and utilities included – about $430 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in New Taipei City
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New Taipei City Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index

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New Taipei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,177

/mo nomad

Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Taipei City and in Kaohsiung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,177 in New Taipei City versus $1,141 in Kaohsiung.

New Taipei City $1,177
Kaohsiung $1,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,976 in New Taipei City versus $1,815 in Kaohsiung.

New Taipei City $1,976
Kaohsiung $1,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,774 in New Taipei City versus $2,490 in Kaohsiung.

New Taipei City $2,774
Kaohsiung $2,490

Living in New Taipei City is roughly 3% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: New Taipei City 13% lower, Kaohsiung 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.57 NT$150

$4.23 NT$139

8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.49 NT$1,003

$31.04 NT$1,021

-1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 NT$169

$4.84 NT$159

6.40%

Cappuccino

$2.23 NT$73.4

$2.85 NT$93.9

-21.75%

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

$0.84 NT$27.71

$1.03 NT$33.85

-18.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.50

$0.67 NT$22.18

-16.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$51.5

$1.55 NT$51.1

0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 NT$82.0

$2.33 NT$76.6

6.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$102

$3.12 NT$103

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$57.9

$2.10 NT$69.1

-16.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 NT$70.1

$3.12 NT$103

-31.73%

Eggs

$2.16 NT$71.1

$2.51 NT$82.7

-13.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.29 NT$799

$16.82 NT$553

44.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 NT$340

$7.57 NT$249

36.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.50 NT$609

$15.32 NT$504

20.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 NT$133

$6.62 NT$218

-38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 NT$78.8

$2.65 NT$87.3

-9.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 NT$86.0

$2.44 NT$80.5

6.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 NT$129

$3.08 NT$101

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.92 NT$129

$2.63 NT$86.5

49.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NT$68.0

$2.02 NT$66.3

2.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 NT$50.4

$2.34 NT$77.0

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$35.09

$1.00 NT$32.99

7.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 NT$138

$4.31 NT$142

-3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 NT$286

$15.50 NT$510

-43.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 NT$45.92

$1.62 NT$53.4

-13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 NT$74.4

$2.13 NT$70.0

6.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 NT$20.97

$0.59 NT$19.38

8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.63 NT$1,205

$12.04 NT$396

204.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NT$87.6

$2.63 NT$86.5

1.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$24.09

$0.76 NT$25.00

-3.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 NT$302

$5.61 NT$185

63.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$34.10

$0.97 NT$31.99

7.22%

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

$33.5K NT$1.1M

$36.1K NT$1.2M

-7.33%

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

$22.8K NT$750.9K

$22.6K NT$743.8K

0.95%

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

$112 NT$3,686

$90.4 NT$2,976

23.87%

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

$16.50 NT$543

$16.73 NT$551

-1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.72 NT$748

$24.06 NT$792

-5.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.10 NT$1,254

$39.98 NT$1,316

-4.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.87 NT$259

$10.36 NT$341

-24.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 NT$359

$10.20 NT$336

6.96%

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

$631 NT$20.8K

$448 NT$14.7K

40.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K NT$768.4K

$16.8K NT$551.3K

39.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.69 NT$1,141

$90.3 NT$2,973

-61.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.51 NT$1,004

$27.36 NT$900

11.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 NT$2,982

$84.4 NT$2,777

7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 NT$3,153

$100 NT$3,302

-4.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 NT$20.2K

$456 NT$15.0K

34.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 NT$11.1K

$331 NT$10.9K

1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 NT$44.3K

$966 NT$31.8K

39.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 NT$29.8K

$677 NT$22.3K

33.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.0K NT$363.0K

$4,150 NT$136.5K

165.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,481 NT$213.3K

$2,885 NT$94.9K

124.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,334 NT$43.9K

$1,473 NT$48.5K

-9.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.81

2.68

4.85%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: October 31, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

New Taipei City

$374 31.8%

Kaohsiung

$360 31.6% 3.8% $14

Accommodation & Living

New Taipei City

$336 28.5%

Kaohsiung

$331 29% 1.6% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Taipei City

$151 12.9%

Kaohsiung

$131 11.5% 13.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

New Taipei City

$113 9.6%

Kaohsiung

$136 11.9% 20.2% $23

Eating Out

New Taipei City

$97 8.3%

Kaohsiung

$102 8.9% 4.7% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

New Taipei City

$60 5.1%

Kaohsiung

$60 5.3% 0.8% $0.5

Getting Around

New Taipei City

$46 3.9%

Kaohsiung

$21 1.8% 54.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in New Taipei City and $456 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30 in New Taipei City vs $31 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $374 vs $360, with Kaohsiung cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 New Taipei City

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

Same time as New Taipei City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,004,367

2,777,873

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.04 USD

100 TWD = 2.71 EUR

100 TWD = 3.04 USD

100 TWD = 2.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New Taipei City Kaohsiung 280 km

From you

New Taipei City
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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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,177 in New Taipei City and $1,141 in Kaohsiung, so Kaohsiung is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in New Taipei City. 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: $613 in New Taipei City versus $456 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $631 in New Taipei City versus $448 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in New Taipei City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Kaohsiung gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Kaohsiung is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in New Taipei City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, New Taipei City and Kaohsiung are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.