Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Taoyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Taoyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,491 in San Salvador versus $1,098 in Taoyuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,161 in San Salvador versus $1,727 in Taoyuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in San Salvador versus $2,357 in Taoyuan.

Living in San Salvador is roughly 36% more expensive than Taoyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Salvador is 11% above, Taoyuan is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.18 $8.18

$5.13 NT$162

59.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.47 $35.47

$25.61 NT$806

38.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.24 NT$196

13.62%

Cappuccino

$3.19 $3.19

$2.78 NT$87.5

14.75%

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

$1.14 $1.14

$1.28 NT$40.33

-10.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.83 NT$26.08

4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.70 NT$53.4

18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.33 NT$73.4

32.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.27 NT$103

-44.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.40 NT$43.95

47.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.44 NT$76.9

-36.89%

Eggs

$2.90 $2.90

$2.21 NT$69.6

31.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.13 $7.13

$8.71 NT$274

-18.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 $6.89

$8.03 NT$253

-14.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 $10.66

$15.94 NT$502

-33.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.32 NT$104

-5.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.96 NT$61.8

-11.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.69 NT$84.7

-4.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.90 NT$91.4

-6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.30 NT$72.4

-6.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.84 NT$58.0

17.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.58 NT$81.1

-63.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.85 NT$26.75

25.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 $4.07

$6.60 NT$208

-38.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.84 $10.84

$11.09 NT$349

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.79 NT$56.3

-4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.47 NT$77.7

1.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.70 NT$21.92

-48.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.13 $25.13

$40.62 NT$1,278

-38.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.00 NT$94.5

82.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$0.72 NT$22.74

320.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.21 $20.21

$8.30 NT$261

143.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.02 NT$32.15

1.96%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$35.7K NT$1.1M

-29.22%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$26.1K NT$821.1K

6.34%

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

$101 $101

$65.3 NT$2,056

54.26%

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

$19.05 $19.05

$28.83 NT$907

-33.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.29 $41.29

$19.65 NT$618

110.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.69 $31.69

$37.15 NT$1,169

-14.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 $20.10

$10.09 NT$318

99.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 $5.09

$10.05 NT$316

-49.35%

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

$147 $147

$572 NT$18.0K

-74.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,971 $5,971

$15.5K NT$488.1K

-61.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 $66.3

$82.9 NT$2,609

-20.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.65 $43.65

$23.90 NT$752

82.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$82.9 NT$2,608

40.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$99.8 NT$3,142

3.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 $827

$428 NT$13.5K

93.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$697 $697

$349 NT$11.0K

99.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 $1,454

$847 NT$26.7K

71.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 $1,107

$610 NT$19.2K

81.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,759 $2,759

$7,522 NT$236.8K

-63.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,822 $1,822

$4,705 NT$148.1K

-61.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$377 $377

$1,522 NT$47.9K

-75.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.58

1.57

446.50%

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

Last update for San Salvador: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $827 in San Salvador and $428 in Taoyuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 304% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in San Salvador vs $26.00 in Taoyuan. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $300, with San Salvador 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

San Salvador vs Taoyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taoyuan wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in San Salvador. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taoyuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Taoyuan earns 304% 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: $827 in San Salvador versus $428 in Taoyuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in San Salvador pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Taoyuan – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $35.00 in San Salvador. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,098 in Taoyuan versus $1,491 in San Salvador, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taoyuan but tight or insufficient in San Salvador. The gap between the two cities makes Taoyuan 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, San Salvador and Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in San Salvador. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.