Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Chiayi Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Chiayi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,181 in Taichung versus $1,149 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,953 in Taichung versus $1,950 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,725 in Taichung versus $2,751 in Chiayi.

Living in Taichung is roughly 3% more expensive than in Chiayi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 11% lower, Chiayi 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.06 NT$163

$6.71 NT$217

-24.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.00 NT$1,001

$40.61 NT$1,311

-23.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.35 NT$173

$5.88 NT$190

-9.01%

Cappuccino

$2.89 NT$93.4

$2.24 NT$72.2

29.02%

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

$1.11 NT$35.71

$1.16 NT$37.59

-4.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 NT$26.09

$0.77 NT$24.99

5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 NT$69.3

$1.88 NT$60.8

13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NT$90.8

$2.98 NT$96.3

-5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.71 NT$120

$3.21 NT$104

15.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.2

$1.90 NT$61.3

-6.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$89.2

$3.03 NT$97.9

-8.91%

Eggs

$3.15 NT$102

$2.92 NT$94.2

7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.26 NT$1,009

$19.98 NT$645

56.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 NT$263

$9.89 NT$319

-17.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 NT$514

$20.10 NT$649

-20.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 NT$146

$5.12 NT$165

-11.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NT$58.7

$2.87 NT$92.6

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 NT$70.7

$2.76 NT$89.0

-20.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 NT$98.8

$4.12 NT$133

-25.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 NT$43.10

$2.83 NT$91.5

-53.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$61.0

$2.17 NT$70.2

-12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$75.9

$1.88 NT$60.6

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NT$42.20

$1.33 NT$42.92

-1.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 NT$134

$4.06 NT$131

2.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.62 NT$505

$4.78 NT$154

226.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$55.9

$1.79 NT$58.0

-3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NT$85.2

$2.43 NT$78.3

8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 NT$29.76

$0.84 NT$27.07

9.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.99 NT$936

$39.58 NT$1,278

-26.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 NT$92.2

$2.93 NT$94.6

-2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 NT$39.59

$0.42 NT$13.43

192.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NT$322

$10.02 NT$324

-0.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.83

$1.04 NT$33.56

0.96%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$37.9K NT$1.2M

-11.39%

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

$26.0K NT$839.2K

$27.4K NT$883.6K

-5.02%

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

$95.5 NT$3,083

$72.4 NT$2,338

31.87%

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

$24.72 NT$798

$19.02 NT$614

29.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.38 NT$690

$24.90 NT$804

-14.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.64 NT$1,151

$37.31 NT$1,205

-4.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 NT$324

$15.33 NT$495

-34.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.50 NT$339

$11.98 NT$387

-12.35%

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

$362 NT$11.7K

$644 NT$20.8K

-43.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K NT$683.1K

$18.5K NT$596.1K

14.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 NT$2,741

$59.1 NT$1,907

43.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.21 NT$1,105

$32.77 NT$1,058

4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 NT$3,031

$91.9 NT$2,969

2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 NT$4,137

$123 NT$3,987

3.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 NT$12.2K

$426 NT$13.8K

-11.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 NT$9,275

$290 NT$9,369

-1.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 NT$34.0K

$1,042 NT$33.6K

1.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 NT$23.1K

$720 NT$23.3K

-0.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,933 NT$223.9K

$3,045 NT$98.3K

127.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,135 NT$165.8K

$1,834 NT$59.2K

180.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,400 NT$45.2K

$2,116 NT$68.3K

-33.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.19

-0.46%

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

Last update for Taichung: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Taichung and $426 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Taichung vs $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $396 vs $379, with Chiayi 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

Taichung vs Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Taichung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Chiayi. 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: $376 in Taichung versus $426 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,181 per month in Taichung versus $1,149 in Chiayi – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 37% less than in Taichung. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,181 in Taichung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Taichung. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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, Taichung and Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.