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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,664 per month in Seongnam vs $1,477 in Taipei, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,474 per month in Seongnam vs $2,378 in Taipei, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,283 per month in Seongnam vs $3,278 in Taipei, rent included.

Seongnam costs about 13% more than Taipei, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Seongnam and Taipei sit above the global median – Seongnam by 25%, Taipei by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 ₩8,359

$6.59 NT$213

-11.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.83 ₩60.2K

$40.77 NT$1,317

2.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.43 ₩6,376

$5.89 NT$190

-24.79%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,705

$3.76 NT$121

5.59%

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

$1.53 ₩2,199

$1.17 NT$37.89

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₩1,138

$0.78 NT$25.23

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 ₩3,806

$3.44 NT$111

-22.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ₩5,151

$3.44 NT$111

4.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ₩3,074

$3.10 NT$100

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 ₩2,962

$1.98 NT$64.0

4.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 ₩4,522

$3.08 NT$99.3

1.95%

Eggs

$3.19 ₩4,588

$2.92 NT$94.3

9.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 ₩13.4K

$20.15 NT$651

-53.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.81 ₩11.2K

$9.63 NT$311

-18.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.54 ₩48.2K

$20.23 NT$653

65.79%

Apples (1kg)

$7.50 ₩10.8K

$5.13 NT$166

46.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.46 ₩4,976

$2.91 NT$93.9

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.64 ₩8,113

$2.77 NT$89.3

103.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 ₩9,490

$4.10 NT$132

60.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.51 ₩5,044

$2.93 NT$94.5

19.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 ₩4,102

$2.28 NT$73.6

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 ₩3,604

$1.90 NT$61.5

32.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₩1,382

$1.33 NT$42.79

-27.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ₩4,878

$4.05 NT$131

-16.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.05 ₩24.5K

$14.20 NT$458

20.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₩2,662

$1.79 NT$57.9

3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₩2,671

$2.36 NT$76.1

-21.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,575

$0.81 NT$26.26

35.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.31 NT$1,302

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 ₩5,228

$2.82 NT$91.1

29.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ₩769

$0.74 NT$24.06

-28.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.89 ₩12.8K

$10.21 NT$330

-12.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ₩1,708

$1.02 NT$33.01

16.67%

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

$27.2K ₩39.1M

$37.8K NT$1.2M

-27.99%

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

$25.2K ₩36.2M

$27.2K NT$879.6K

-7.52%

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

$167 ₩239.5K

$84.3 NT$2,720

97.69%

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

$34.40 ₩49.5K

$19.10 NT$617

80.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 ₩31.6K

$25.11 NT$811

-12.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.71 ₩68.6K

$40.70 NT$1,314

17.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.91 NT$449

Cinema Ticket

$11.20 ₩16.1K

$12.00 NT$387

-6.67%

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

$413 ₩593.6K

$634 NT$20.5K

-34.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K ₩33.4M

$18.4K NT$595.6K

26.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 ₩83.5K

$58.9 NT$1,903

-1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 ₩68.1K

$33.91 NT$1,095

39.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 ₩115.7K

$93.1 NT$3,007

-13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₩169.0K

$123 NT$3,964

-4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ₩636.4K

$794 NT$25.6K

-44.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 ₩964.7K

$547 NT$17.6K

22.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 ₩1.5M

$1,628 NT$52.6K

-34.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 ₩1.5M

$1,095 NT$35.4K

-7.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,307 ₩10.5M

$12.7K NT$411.0K

-42.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,184 ₩7.5M

$7,583 NT$244.9K

-31.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,705 NT$55.0K

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Taipei: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $442 in Seongnam versus $794 in Taipei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Seongnam versus $41.00 in Taipei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $434 vs $398 – 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: $1,664 in Seongnam, $1,477 in Taipei – roughly 13% apart. Seongnam costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,496 per month in Seongnam and $2,216 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 $1,664 in Seongnam and $1,477 in Taipei. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $413 per month in Seongnam and $634 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 $1,477, than in Seongnam at $1,664. 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.