Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Douliu Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Douliu

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,175 per month in Taichung vs $1,178 in Douliu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,977 per month in Taichung vs $1,970 in Douliu, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,779 per month in Taichung vs $2,762 in Douliu, rent included.

Taichung and Douliu have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Taichung and Douliu are more affordable than the global median – Taichung 12% lower, Douliu 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$4.06 NT$128

27.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$949

$23.60 NT$743

27.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$172

$5.80 NT$183

-5.52%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.5

$3.76 NT$118

-19.41%

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

$1.16 NT$36.61

$1.18 NT$37.06

-1.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.02

$0.73 NT$22.87

17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$3.42 NT$108

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.4

$3.42 NT$108

-14.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$3.15 NT$99.2

22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$1.98 NT$62.3

-12.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.7

$3.03 NT$95.5

-6.93%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$2.95 NT$92.7

10.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$997

$20.24 NT$637

56.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$9.96 NT$313

-17.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$20.40 NT$642

-21.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$5.25 NT$165

-11.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.5

$2.84 NT$89.5

-38.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.0

$2.85 NT$89.6

-20.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$4.16 NT$131

-28.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.12

$2.80 NT$88.0

-54.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.24 NT$70.5

-12.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.3

$1.88 NT$59.3

25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.95

$1.37 NT$43.17

-5.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$4.03 NT$127

-1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$14.52 NT$457

11.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.82 NT$57.3

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.7

$2.39 NT$75.4

11.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.57

$0.88 NT$27.78

6.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$908

$39.46 NT$1,242

-26.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.1

$2.84 NT$89.5

2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$38.97

$0.78 NT$24.63

58.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$10.03 NT$316

2.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.02

$1.07 NT$33.70

-1.87%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$37.7K NT$1.2M

-8.26%

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

$26.0K NT$816.9K

$27.2K NT$855.4K

-4.50%

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

$96.6 NT$3,042

$85.6 NT$2,695

12.90%

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

$24.51 NT$771

$18.60 NT$585

31.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$25.43 NT$800

-13.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,147

$37.14 NT$1,169

-1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$15.22 NT$479

-33.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$331

$12.05 NT$379

-12.70%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$645 NT$20.3K

-44.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$656.8K

$18.8K NT$590.5K

11.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,646

$58.7 NT$1,848

43.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,072

$32.78 NT$1,032

3.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,049

$92.7 NT$2,919

4.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,092

$124 NT$3,912

4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$431 NT$13.6K

-12.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,184

$288 NT$9,054

1.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.2K

$1,052 NT$33.1K

0.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$713 NT$22.4K

2.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.7K

$7,501 NT$236.1K

-2.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.6K

$5,325 NT$167.6K

-1.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$2,632 NT$82.9K

-46.06%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Douliu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $379 in Taichung versus $431 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 85% higher in Douliu. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Taichung versus $24.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $402 in Taichung vs $402 in Douliu – so Taichung wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,762 per month in Taichung and $1,767 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taichung, 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 $30.00 in Taichung and $24.00 in Douliu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Taichung. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,175, than in Douliu at $1,178. In Taichung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Douliu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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