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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,239 in New Taipei City versus $1,384 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,038 in New Taipei City versus $2,233 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,837 in New Taipei City versus $3,082 in Taipei.

Living in New Taipei City costs roughly 10% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: New Taipei City is 9% below, Taipei is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 NT$150

$4.61 NT$147

1.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.51 NT$1,003

$46.83 NT$1,491

-32.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.23 NT$166

$5.54 NT$176

-5.60%

Cappuccino

$2.24 NT$71.2

$3.46 NT$110

-35.26%

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

$0.88 NT$28.04

$0.92 NT$29.44

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$17.94

$0.62 NT$19.83

-9.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 NT$53.3

$2.78 NT$88.6

-39.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$78.0

$3.82 NT$122

-35.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 NT$98.1

$3.11 NT$99.0

-0.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 NT$57.8

$1.97 NT$62.6

-7.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 NT$70.0

$3.17 NT$101

-30.60%

Eggs

$2.19 NT$69.6

$2.81 NT$89.6

-22.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.19 NT$802

$19.49 NT$621

29.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 NT$337

$10.00 NT$318

6.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 NT$603

$21.90 NT$697

-13.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 NT$131

$4.80 NT$153

-13.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NT$77.7

$3.25 NT$103

-24.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 NT$89.6

$2.99 NT$95.0

-6.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$127

$4.35 NT$139

-8.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 NT$128

$2.70 NT$85.9

48.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NT$66.0

$2.28 NT$72.6

-9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 NT$52.1

$1.70 NT$54.3

-3.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NT$33.16

$1.17 NT$37.22

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 NT$142

$4.02 NT$128

10.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 NT$283

$14.29 NT$455

-37.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 NT$47.28

$1.66 NT$52.7

-10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 NT$63.9

$2.22 NT$70.7

-9.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.19

$0.61 NT$19.38

34.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.92 NT$1,207

$38.17 NT$1,215

-0.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 NT$89.8

$2.73 NT$87.0

3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 NT$31.61

$0.80 NT$25.61

23.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.69 NT$309

$9.18 NT$292

5.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.00

$1.06 NT$33.59

-4.72%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-0.14%

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

$24.4K NT$775.7K

$24.4K NT$777.6K

-0.25%

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

$112 NT$3,558

$83.2 NT$2,648

34.34%

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

$16.69 NT$531

$17.73 NT$565

-5.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.96 NT$731

$28.05 NT$893

-18.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 NT$1,251

$41.43 NT$1,319

-5.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 NT$248

$16.34 NT$520

-52.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.64 NT$402

$9.51 NT$303

32.91%

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

$650 NT$20.7K

$615 NT$19.6K

5.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K NT$676.1K

$17.1K NT$544.1K

24.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.16 NT$1,119

$62.7 NT$1,995

-43.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.25 NT$995

$40.32 NT$1,284

-22.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 NT$2,985

$84.7 NT$2,696

10.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 NT$3,162

$105 NT$3,337

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 NT$20.6K

$898 NT$28.6K

-28.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 NT$10.8K

$490 NT$15.6K

-30.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 NT$44.4K

$1,550 NT$49.3K

-9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 NT$29.5K

$971 NT$30.9K

-4.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K NT$394.3K

$12.2K NT$389.6K

1.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,248 NT$230.7K

$7,708 NT$245.3K

-5.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,391 NT$44.3K

$1,714 NT$54.5K

-18.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.81

2.4

17.08%

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 Taipei: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $646 in New Taipei City and $898 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 23% 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: $32.00 in New Taipei City vs $47.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $401 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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Taipei City and Taipei differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,239 vs $1,384 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 23% lower in Taipei. 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 $898 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,239 per month in New Taipei City versus $1,384 in Taipei – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in New Taipei City runs roughly 1% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,239 in New Taipei City versus $1,384 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in New Taipei City but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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 Taipei 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 12% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.