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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,180 per month in Taichung vs $1,193 in Douliu, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,966 per month in Taichung vs $1,979 in Douliu, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,752 per month in Taichung vs $2,766 in Douliu, rent included.

Taichung is about 1% cheaper than Douliu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Taichung and Douliu are more affordable than the global median – Taichung 12% lower, Douliu 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.99 NT$161

$3.96 NT$128

26.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.18 NT$975

$23.27 NT$752

29.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 NT$172

$5.68 NT$184

-6.51%

Cappuccino

$2.91 NT$94.1

$3.93 NT$127

-25.95%

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

$1.15 NT$37.25

$1.13 NT$36.41

1.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 NT$27.00

$0.75 NT$24.22

12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 NT$67.2

$3.37 NT$109

-38.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 NT$92.5

$3.30 NT$107

-13.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.91 NT$127

$3.11 NT$101

25.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.8

$1.88 NT$60.8

-6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 NT$89.7

$3.04 NT$98.3

-8.55%

Eggs

$3.14 NT$102

$2.83 NT$91.3

10.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.84 NT$1,029

$19.91 NT$643

59.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 NT$266

$10.15 NT$328

-18.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 NT$514

$20.37 NT$658

-21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 NT$151

$5.19 NT$168

-9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 NT$55.9

$2.99 NT$96.7

-42.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 NT$72.0

$2.81 NT$90.7

-20.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$99.1

$4.26 NT$138

-27.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 NT$41.73

$2.93 NT$94.7

-55.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.5

$2.28 NT$73.7

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$76.4

$1.99 NT$64.2

18.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 NT$40.17

$1.32 NT$42.67

-6.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 NT$129

$4.10 NT$132

-2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 NT$501

$13.87 NT$448

11.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.5

$1.73 NT$56.0

-4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 NT$86.2

$2.40 NT$77.4

11.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$28.24

$0.84 NT$27.12

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.55 NT$923

$39.03 NT$1,261

-26.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$95.0

$2.90 NT$93.6

1.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NT$38.32

$0.79 NT$25.46

50.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.22 NT$330

$10.08 NT$326

1.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.19

$1.04 NT$33.56

1.92%

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

$33.7K NT$1.1M

$38.1K NT$1.2M

-11.71%

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

$26.4K NT$853.2K

$28.1K NT$907.5K

-5.98%

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

$95.7 NT$3,091

$84.5 NT$2,730

13.22%

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

$24.69 NT$798

$18.83 NT$608

31.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.22 NT$686

$24.75 NT$800

-14.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.41 NT$1,144

$36.63 NT$1,184

-3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.35 NT$334

$15.17 NT$490

-31.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.85 NT$351

$11.96 NT$386

-9.28%

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

$357 NT$11.5K

$643 NT$20.8K

-44.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K NT$671.2K

$18.8K NT$608.4K

10.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 NT$2,777

$59.0 NT$1,908

45.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.53 NT$1,116

$33.23 NT$1,074

3.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.3 NT$3,079

$93.6 NT$3,023

1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 NT$4,227

$120 NT$3,883

8.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 NT$12.2K

$429 NT$13.8K

-11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$9,088

$292 NT$9,447

-3.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 NT$33.7K

$1,050 NT$33.9K

-0.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 NT$23.5K

$737 NT$23.8K

-1.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,208 NT$232.9K

$7,223 NT$233.4K

-0.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,156 NT$166.6K

$4,904 NT$158.5K

5.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,392 NT$45.0K

$2,578 NT$83.3K

-46.00%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Douliu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $377 in Taichung versus $429 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, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Taichung versus $23.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Taichung vs $400 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

Douliu costs about 1% more than Taichung, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,770 per month in Taichung and $1,789 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 $23.00 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 $1,180 in Taichung and $1,193 in Douliu. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,180, than in Douliu at $1,193. 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.