Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Douliu

For one person, living costs are similar in Taichung and in Douliu: $1,145 and $1,138 a month, rent and utilities included.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Douliu
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Douliu Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,145

/mo nomad

Douliu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taichung and in Douliu

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 Douliu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,145 per month in Taichung vs $1,138 in Douliu, rent included.

Taichung $1,145
Douliu $1,138

A couple spends around $1,901 per month in Taichung vs $1,894 in Douliu, rent included.

Taichung $1,901
Douliu $1,894

A family of three spends $2,657 per month in Taichung vs $2,650 in Douliu, rent included.

Taichung $2,657
Douliu $2,650

Taichung costs about 1% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Taichung and Douliu are more affordable than the global median – Taichung 15% lower, Douliu 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.67 NT$151

$3.85 NT$125

21.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.15 NT$1,010

$22.40 NT$726

39.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$149

$5.81 NT$189

-20.83%

Cappuccino

$2.71 NT$87.8

$3.40 NT$110

-20.29%

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

$0.99 NT$31.98

$0.94 NT$30.58

5.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$23.04

$0.67 NT$21.86

5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 NT$51.4

$2.79 NT$90.4

-43.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NT$93.6

$3.73 NT$121

-22.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 NT$102

$3.09 NT$100

1.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$56.6

$2.01 NT$65.1

-13.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 NT$84.0

$3.17 NT$103

-18.30%

Eggs

$2.59 NT$83.9

$2.76 NT$89.4

-6.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 NT$913

$19.44 NT$631

44.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 NT$256

$9.97 NT$323

-20.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 NT$548

$21.44 NT$695

-21.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$137

$4.79 NT$155

-11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 NT$63.4

$3.29 NT$107

-40.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$3.08 NT$99.9

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 NT$69.9

$4.34 NT$141

-50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 NT$38.55

$2.82 NT$91.3

-57.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$61.4

$2.34 NT$75.9

-19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NT$75.1

$1.71 NT$55.6

35.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.66

$1.10 NT$35.65

-17.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 NT$122

$3.85 NT$125

-1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.59 NT$506

$14.46 NT$469

7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$50.8

$1.63 NT$52.9

-3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$79.8

$2.31 NT$75.0

6.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 NT$21.69

$0.61 NT$19.89

9.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 NT$1,017

$35.53 NT$1,152

-11.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NT$86.7

$2.66 NT$86.3

0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$31.57

$0.77 NT$24.82

25.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.65 NT$313

$9.46 NT$307

2.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.36

$1.03 NT$33.56

2.91%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-0.16%

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

$22.7K NT$735.4K

$24.0K NT$777.6K

-5.43%

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

$122 NT$3,945

$86.6 NT$2,807

40.55%

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

$15.08 NT$489

$17.15 NT$556

-12.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 NT$681

$27.79 NT$901

-24.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.97 NT$1,037

$36.37 NT$1,179

-12.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.54 NT$374

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 NT$309

$9.54 NT$309

-0.10%

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

$333 NT$10.8K

$663 NT$21.5K

-49.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$537.7K

$17.0K NT$550.7K

-2.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 NT$2,326

$64.5 NT$2,091

11.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 NT$1,156

$40.75 NT$1,321

-12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 NT$2,706

$85.0 NT$2,756

-1.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NT$3,768

$105 NT$3,408

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 NT$12.7K

$404 NT$13.1K

-3.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$9,111

$257 NT$8,334

9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 NT$39.5K

$982 NT$31.8K

24.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 NT$24.6K

$730 NT$23.7K

3.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,582 NT$278.3K

$7,836 NT$254.1K

9.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,309 NT$172.2K

$4,924 NT$159.7K

7.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,443 NT$46.8K

$2,544 NT$82.5K

-43.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

2.4

-5.42%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 11, 2026

Last update for Douliu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$371 32.4%

Douliu

$400 35.1% 7.6% $28

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$281 24.5%

Douliu

$257 22.6% 8.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$158 13.8%

Douliu

$132 11.6% 16.6% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$138 12.1%

Douliu

$133 11.7% 3.8% $5.3

Eating Out

Taichung

$104 9.1%

Douliu

$117 10.3% 12.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$51 4.5%

Douliu

$55 4.9% 8.6% $4.4

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.6%

Douliu

$44 3.9% 7% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $391 in Taichung versus $404 in Douliu. 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 76% higher in Douliu, 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 $22.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $371 in Taichung vs $400 in Douliu – so Taichung wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇹🇼 Douliu

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

Same time as Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

108,401

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Taichung vs Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung costs about 1% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $1,707 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Taichung and $22.00 in Douliu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,145 in Taichung and $1,138 in Douliu. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Taichung at $1,145. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taichung it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Douliu – 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 Douliu. 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.