Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Chang-hua

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $1,145 in Taichung, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,145

/mo nomad

Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taichung and in Chang-hua

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taichung and in Chang-hua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,145 per month in Taichung vs $864 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Taichung $1,145
Chang-hua $864

A couple spends around $1,901 per month in Taichung vs $1,343 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Taichung $1,901
Chang-hua $1,343

A family of three spends $2,657 per month in Taichung vs $1,822 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Taichung $2,657
Chang-hua $1,822

Taichung costs about 32% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Taichung and Chang-hua are more affordable than the global median – Taichung 15% lower, Chang-hua 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.67 NT$151

$3.83 NT$124

21.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.15 NT$1,010

$32.76 NT$1,062

-4.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$149

$5.53 NT$179

-16.82%

Cappuccino

$2.71 NT$87.8

$1.63 NT$52.7

66.26%

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

$0.99 NT$31.98

$0.96 NT$30.99

3.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$23.04

$0.56 NT$18.01

26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 NT$51.4

$1.36 NT$44.21

16.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NT$93.6

$2.17 NT$70.3

33.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 NT$102

$2.38 NT$77.1

31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$56.6

$2.07 NT$67.2

-15.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 NT$84.0

$2.94 NT$95.5

-11.90%

Eggs

$2.59 NT$83.9

$2.76 NT$89.5

-6.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 NT$913

$16.19 NT$525

73.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 NT$256

$9.51 NT$308

-17.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 NT$548

$21.23 NT$688

-20.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$137

$4.82 NT$156

-12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 NT$63.4

$3.38 NT$110

-42.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$2.93 NT$95.1

2.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 NT$69.9

$3.17 NT$103

-31.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 NT$38.55

$2.77 NT$89.8

-57.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$61.4

$2.11 NT$68.4

-10.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NT$75.1

$1.69 NT$54.9

37.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.66

$0.77 NT$24.97

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 NT$122

$3.96 NT$128

-4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.59 NT$506

$9.43 NT$306

65.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$50.8

$1.38 NT$44.70

13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$79.8

$2.29 NT$74.4

7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 NT$21.69

$1.55 NT$50.4

-56.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 NT$1,017

$34.80 NT$1,129

-9.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NT$86.7

$2.65 NT$85.9

0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$31.57

$0.76 NT$24.71

27.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.65 NT$313

$9.29 NT$301

3.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.36

$1.06 NT$34.39

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

2.41%

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

$22.7K NT$735.4K

$24.3K NT$787.5K

-6.61%

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

$122 NT$3,945

$31.62 NT$1,025

284.72%

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

$15.08 NT$489

$16.99 NT$551

-11.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 NT$681

$18.71 NT$607

12.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.97 NT$1,037

$31.75 NT$1,029

0.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.54 NT$374

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 NT$309

$9.38 NT$304

1.60%

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

$333 NT$10.8K

$636 NT$20.6K

-47.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$537.7K

$7,946 NT$257.7K

108.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 NT$2,326

$49.35 NT$1,600

45.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 NT$1,156

$15.47 NT$502

130.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 NT$2,706

$78.1 NT$2,534

6.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NT$3,768

$49.57 NT$1,607

134.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 NT$12.7K

$252 NT$8,160

55.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$9,111

$170 NT$5,528

64.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 NT$39.5K

$509 NT$16.5K

139.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 NT$24.6K

$169 NT$5,480

348.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,582 NT$278.3K

$2,959 NT$96.0K

190.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,309 NT$172.2K

$1,631 NT$52.9K

225.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,443 NT$46.8K

$2,011 NT$65.2K

-28.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

2.2

3.18%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$371 32.4%

Chang-hua

$358 41.4% 3.6% $13

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$281 24.5%

Chang-hua

$170 19.7% 39.3% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$158 13.8%

Chang-hua

$67 7.8% 57.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$138 12.1%

Chang-hua

$87 10% 37.3% $52

Eating Out

Taichung

$104 9.1%

Chang-hua

$84 9.7% 19.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$51 4.5%

Chang-hua

$51 5.8% 1% $0.5

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.6%

Chang-hua

$47 5.5% 14.2% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $391 in Taichung versus $252 in Chang-hua. 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 39% higher in Chang-hua, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Taichung versus $33.00 in Chang-hua. Groceries tell a different story – $371 in Taichung vs $358 in Chang-hua – so Chang-hua wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

Same time as Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

226,564

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Taichung Chang-hua 13 km

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Taichung
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Taichung vs Chang-hua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung costs about 32% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,717 per month in Taichung and $1,296 in Chang-hua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chang-hua, 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 $1,145 in Taichung and $864 in Chang-hua. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Chang-hua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chang-hua, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Taichung at $1,145. In Chang-hua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taichung it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chang-hua – 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 Chang-hua. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taichung makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.