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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in New Taipei City versus $1,203 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,281 in New Taipei City versus $1,954 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,179 in New Taipei City versus $2,704 in Taichung.

Living in New Taipei City is roughly 15% more expensive than Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Taipei City is 3% above, Taichung is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.16 NT$163

$4.99 NT$157

3.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.11 NT$1,077

$29.95 NT$946

13.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 NT$179

$5.46 NT$172

3.85%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.7

$2.93 NT$92.5

0.34%

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

$0.89 NT$28.00

$1.16 NT$36.54

-23.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.78

$0.86 NT$27.14

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 NT$64.6

$2.16 NT$68.2

-5.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NT$86.4

$2.83 NT$89.4

-3.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 NT$101

$3.79 NT$120

-15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$59.8

$1.75 NT$55.4

8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$2.77 NT$87.6

8.66%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$92.2

$3.29 NT$104

-11.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.31 NT$641

$31.49 NT$994

-35.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 NT$277

$8.10 NT$256

8.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 NT$641

$15.61 NT$493

30.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 NT$148

$4.72 NT$149

-1.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 NT$83.3

$1.82 NT$57.5

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.1

$2.28 NT$72.0

19.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 NT$133

$3.07 NT$96.9

37.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 NT$88.6

$1.35 NT$42.48

108.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 NT$72.3

$1.88 NT$59.2

21.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 NT$64.1

$2.35 NT$74.2

-13.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$41.19

$1.28 NT$40.54

1.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$128

$4.14 NT$131

-2.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 NT$296

$15.69 NT$495

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.1

$1.65 NT$52.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 NT$73.7

$2.62 NT$82.7

-10.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.45

$0.86 NT$27.18

-24.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.17 NT$1,300

$29.22 NT$922

40.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NT$89.8

$2.96 NT$93.5

-4.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.48

$1.23 NT$38.80

-39.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.21 NT$322

$10.33 NT$326

-1.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.81

$1.00 NT$31.71

7.00%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$34.4K NT$1.1M

12.52%

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

$28.0K NT$885.3K

$26.4K NT$833.3K

6.24%

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

$97.4 NT$3,076

$97.3 NT$3,072

0.14%

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

$24.77 NT$782

$24.15 NT$762

2.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 NT$765

$21.53 NT$680

12.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.12 NT$1,235

$35.96 NT$1,135

8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.27 NT$514

$10.14 NT$320

60.45%

Cinema Ticket

$11.65 NT$368

$10.66 NT$337

9.29%

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

$633 NT$20.0K

$356 NT$11.2K

77.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K NT$589.8K

$21.0K NT$663.1K

-11.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 NT$2,472

$85.7 NT$2,705

-8.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 NT$1,087

$34.47 NT$1,088

-0.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 NT$2,998

$93.9 NT$2,964

1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,889

$131 NT$4,126

-5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 NT$20.7K

$385 NT$12.2K

70.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 NT$14.6K

$281 NT$8,871

65.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 NT$54.6K

$1,025 NT$32.3K

68.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 NT$34.2K

$714 NT$22.5K

51.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$399.6K

$7,104 NT$224.3K

78.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,233 NT$228.4K

$5,345 NT$168.8K

35.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 NT$43.1K

$1,415 NT$44.7K

-3.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

2.18

0.46%

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 Taichung: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in New Taipei City and $385 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 4% 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 $30.00 in Taichung. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $398, with New Taipei City 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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City and Taichung differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,384 vs $1,203 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taichung earns 4% 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 $385 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,384 per month in New Taipei City versus $1,203 in Taichung – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Taichung runs roughly 41% less than in New Taipei City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,203 in Taichung versus $1,384 in New Taipei City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in New Taipei City. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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 Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in New Taipei City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.