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: $1,384 in New Taipei City versus $1,148 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in New Taipei City versus $1,899 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,179 in New Taipei City versus $2,650 in Kaohsiung.

Living in New Taipei City is roughly 21% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Taipei City is 3% above, Kaohsiung is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 NT$163

$4.11 NT$130

25.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.11 NT$1,077

$33.83 NT$1,068

0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 NT$179

$5.43 NT$172

4.42%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.7

$2.99 NT$94.5

-1.67%

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

$0.89 NT$28.00

$0.97 NT$30.72

-8.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.78

$0.72 NT$22.88

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 NT$64.6

$1.68 NT$53.0

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NT$86.4

$2.79 NT$88.0

-1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 NT$101

$3.43 NT$108

-6.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$59.8

$2.00 NT$63.1

-5.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$2.61 NT$82.4

15.33%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$92.2

$3.30 NT$104

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.31 NT$641

$16.13 NT$509

25.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 NT$277

$9.45 NT$298

-7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 NT$641

$17.56 NT$554

15.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 NT$148

$6.20 NT$196

-24.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NT$83.3

$2.59 NT$81.7

1.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.1

$2.86 NT$90.2

-4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NT$133

$4.00 NT$126

5.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 NT$88.6

$2.91 NT$91.9

-3.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NT$72.3

$2.23 NT$70.3

2.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NT$64.1

$1.95 NT$61.4

4.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$41.19

$1.19 NT$37.64

9.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$128

$4.53 NT$143

-10.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 NT$296

$15.61 NT$493

-39.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.1

$1.67 NT$52.6

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NT$73.7

$2.56 NT$80.8

-8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.45

$0.82 NT$25.94

-20.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.17 NT$1,300

$26.95 NT$851

52.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NT$89.8

$2.91 NT$91.8

-2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.48

$0.79 NT$25.09

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 NT$322

$6.12 NT$193

66.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.81

$1.03 NT$32.46

3.88%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$34.9K NT$1.1M

10.83%

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

$28.0K NT$885.3K

$25.6K NT$809.5K

9.37%

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

$97.4 NT$3,076

$102 NT$3,231

-4.78%

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

$24.77 NT$782

$25.62 NT$809

-3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 NT$765

$25.09 NT$792

-3.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.12 NT$1,235

$39.67 NT$1,252

-1.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 NT$514

$11.12 NT$351

46.31%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 NT$368

$9.98 NT$315

16.73%

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

$633 NT$20.0K

$431 NT$13.6K

46.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K NT$589.8K

$11.5K NT$361.7K

63.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 NT$2,472

$97.4 NT$3,075

-19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 NT$1,087

$35.83 NT$1,131

-3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 NT$2,998

$88.1 NT$2,781

7.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,889

$104 NT$3,268

18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 NT$20.7K

$442 NT$13.9K

48.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 NT$14.6K

$279 NT$8,821

66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 NT$54.6K

$960 NT$30.3K

80.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 NT$34.2K

$686 NT$21.7K

57.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$399.6K

$4,630 NT$146.2K

173.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,233 NT$228.4K

$3,248 NT$102.5K

122.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 NT$43.1K

$1,533 NT$48.4K

-10.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

2.3

-4.78%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in New Taipei City and $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in New Taipei City vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $384 per month, with New Taipei City 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

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

New Taipei City and Kaohsiung differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,384 vs $1,148 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 12% less. 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: $655 in New Taipei City versus $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $633 in New Taipei City versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in New Taipei City pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,384 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 21% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.