Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Seongnam and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,661 per month in Seongnam vs $1,497 in Taipei, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,454 per month in Seongnam vs $2,340 in Taipei, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Seongnam vs $3,184 in Taipei, rent included.

Seongnam costs about 11% more than Taipei, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Seongnam and Taipei sit above the global median – Seongnam by 24%, Taipei by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.82 ₩8,835

$6.83 NT$216

-14.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.89 ₩65.1K

$39.89 NT$1,261

7.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 ₩6,768

$5.74 NT$182

-22.30%

Cappuccino

$3.88 ₩5,891

$3.82 NT$121

1.57%

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

$1.52 ₩2,301

$1.18 NT$37.35

28.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,192

$0.74 NT$23.45

6.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ₩3,870

$3.43 NT$109

-25.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ₩5,532

$3.35 NT$106

8.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 ₩3,398

$3.15 NT$99.7

-28.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 ₩3,224

$1.89 NT$59.8

12.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 ₩4,904

$3.14 NT$99.1

2.87%

Eggs

$3.07 ₩4,666

$2.83 NT$89.4

8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 ₩14.3K

$20.13 NT$636

-53.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.38 ₩11.2K

$9.90 NT$313

-25.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.03 ₩51.7K

$20.51 NT$649

65.92%

Apples (1kg)

$7.91 ₩12.0K

$5.30 NT$167

49.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩5,261

$2.95 NT$93.4

17.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 ₩8,371

$2.81 NT$88.8

96.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 ₩9,770

$4.20 NT$133

53.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 ₩5,456

$2.91 NT$91.9

23.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 ₩4,491

$2.22 NT$70.0

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 ₩3,882

$1.97 NT$62.2

29.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ₩1,435

$1.32 NT$41.82

-28.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 ₩4,889

$3.97 NT$125

-18.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 ₩24.6K

$14.26 NT$451

13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ₩2,771

$1.76 NT$55.7

3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₩2,863

$2.40 NT$75.8

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 ₩1,594

$0.84 NT$26.53

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.75 NT$1,288

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ₩5,440

$2.93 NT$92.6

22.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 ₩812

$0.74 NT$23.28

-27.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.69 ₩13.2K

$10.29 NT$325

-15.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ₩1,818

$1.02 NT$32.25

17.65%

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

$27.2K ₩41.3M

$37.5K NT$1.2M

-27.46%

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

$24.9K ₩37.8M

$27.1K NT$855.9K

-8.07%

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

$165 ₩250.4K

$83.9 NT$2,653

96.52%

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

$34.89 ₩53.0K

$18.55 NT$587

88.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.27 ₩33.8K

$24.94 NT$788

-10.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.97 ₩71.3K

$41.43 NT$1,310

13.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.55 NT$428

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩16.9K

$11.89 NT$376

-6.56%

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

$410 ₩622.1K

$624 NT$19.7K

-34.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K ₩35.4M

$18.7K NT$591.8K

24.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 ₩90.2K

$59.6 NT$1,884

-0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.64 ₩70.8K

$33.93 NT$1,073

37.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩118.9K

$94.1 NT$2,975

-16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 ₩175.6K

$125 NT$3,941

-7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 ₩668.1K

$782 NT$24.7K

-43.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ₩1.0M

$552 NT$17.5K

19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 ₩1.6M

$1,678 NT$53.1K

-35.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 ₩1.6M

$1,088 NT$34.4K

-5.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ₩20.6M

$13.7K NT$431.7K

-0.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 ₩9.0M

$8,549 NT$270.3K

-30.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,328 ₩6.6M

$1,788 NT$56.5K

142.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

2.19

89.04%

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

Last update for Seongnam: June 7, 2026

Last update for Taipei: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Seongnam versus $782 in Taipei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 142% higher in Seongnam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Seongnam versus $40.00 in Taipei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $434 vs $401 – making Taipei the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Seongnam vs Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,661 in Seongnam, $1,497 in Taipei – roughly 11% apart. Seongnam costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,491 per month in Seongnam and $2,246 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taipei, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,661 in Seongnam and $1,497 in Taipei. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $410 per month in Seongnam and $624 in Taipei. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taipei, where all-in costs run around $1,497, than in Seongnam at $1,661. In Taipei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seongnam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taipei – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Taipei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seongnam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.