Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Taipei City and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in New Taipei City: $1,211 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in New Taipei City
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New Taipei City Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

New Taipei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,211

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,211 in New Taipei City versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

New Taipei City $1,211
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,026 in New Taipei City versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

New Taipei City $2,026
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,841 in New Taipei City versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

New Taipei City $2,841
Melbourne $5,650

Living in New Taipei City costs roughly 57% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Taipei City is 10% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 NT$155

$17.43 A$25.08

-72.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.06 NT$1,007

$84.6 A$122

-63.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 NT$163

$12.46 A$17.92

-59.71%

Cappuccino

$2.27 NT$73.5

$4.11 A$5.91

-44.77%

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

$0.88 NT$28.40

$3.06 A$4.40

-71.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.22

$2.52 A$3.62

-77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 NT$51.3

$9.80 A$14.10

-83.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 NT$83.4

$8.57 A$12.33

-70.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.13 NT$102

$1.48 A$2.14

111.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 NT$58.6

$2.94 A$4.23

-38.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 NT$70.5

$2.66 A$3.82

-18.42%

Eggs

$2.20 NT$71.3

$5.54 A$7.97

-60.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.39 NT$791

$10.51 A$15.13

132.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 NT$343

$9.65 A$13.89

9.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.26 NT$625

$15.22 A$21.91

26.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 NT$129

$3.99 A$5.75

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 NT$82.4

$3.02 A$4.34

-15.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$3.10 A$4.46

-13.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 NT$129

$4.82 A$6.93

-17.43%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 NT$132

$3.03 A$4.36

33.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 NT$66.7

$2.44 A$3.52

-15.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 NT$52.4

$2.46 A$3.54

-34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NT$35.18

$1.63 A$2.34

-33.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 NT$140

$44.07 A$63.4

-90.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 NT$296

$12.70 A$18.28

-28.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$45.09

$5.54 A$7.97

-74.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$78.4

$5.23 A$7.52

-53.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.53

$3.74 A$5.38

-78.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.86 NT$1,195

$138 A$198

-73.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 NT$91.4

$4.51 A$6.50

-37.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.96

$1.36 A$1.96

-32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.46 NT$307

$30.45 A$43.81

-68.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.44

$1.47 A$2.12

-31.97%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$29.0K A$41.7K

14.66%

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

$24.5K NT$793.2K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-7.61%

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

$114 NT$3,682

$234 A$336

-51.42%

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

$16.72 NT$542

$27.93 A$40.19

-40.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.01 NT$746

$55.7 A$80.2

-58.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.40 NT$1,245

$49.40 A$71.1

-22.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.04 NT$261

$21.48 A$30.91

-62.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.49 NT$405

$15.09 A$21.72

-17.23%

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

$639 NT$20.7K

$2,371 A$3,412

-73.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K NT$696.7K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-28.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 NT$1,155

$80.0 A$115

-55.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.90 NT$1,002

$50.7 A$73.0

-39.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 NT$3,000

$121 A$174

-23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NT$3,247

$130 A$188

-23.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 NT$20.8K

$1,759 A$2,531

-63.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 NT$11.3K

$1,390 A$2,000

-74.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 NT$45.6K

$3,494 A$5,027

-59.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$927 NT$30.0K

$2,493 A$3,588

-62.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K NT$402.0K

$6,926 A$9,967

78.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,282 NT$236.1K

$6,445 A$9,274

12.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,418 NT$46.0K

$4,383 A$6,307

-67.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.81

5.9

-52.37%

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

Last update for New Taipei City: October 13, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

New Taipei City

$382 31.6%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 0.4% $1.6

Accommodation & Living

New Taipei City

$348 28.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 299% $1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Taipei City

$153 12.7%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 107% $164

Clothing & Footwear

New Taipei City

$117 9.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 47.3% $55

Eating Out

New Taipei City

$99 8.2%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 217% $215

Sport & Entertainment

New Taipei City

$63 5.2%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 25.6% $16

Getting Around

New Taipei City

$48 3.9%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 244% $116

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $641 in New Taipei City and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 209% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in New Taipei City vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $384 per month, with New Taipei City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 New Taipei City

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

3 h ahead of New Taipei City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,004,367

5,031,195

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New Taipei City Melbourne 7,400 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City and Melbourne differ by about 133% in total monthly costs ($1,211 vs $2,821 including rent). New Taipei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 209% lower in Melbourne. 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: $641 in New Taipei City versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $639 in New Taipei City versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,211 in New Taipei City versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in New Taipei City but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes New Taipei City 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 Melbourne 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 New Taipei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.