Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Hsinchu

For one person, living costs are similar in Taichung and in Hsinchu: $1,112 and $1,139 a month, rent and utilities included.

53

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
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Hsinchu Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,112

/mo nomad

Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taichung and in Hsinchu

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

A single person spends $1,112 per month in Taichung vs $1,139 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Taichung $1,112
Hsinchu $1,139

A couple spends around $1,848 per month in Taichung vs $1,910 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Taichung $1,848
Hsinchu $1,910

A family of three spends $2,584 per month in Taichung vs $2,682 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Taichung $2,584
Hsinchu $2,682

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

Both Taichung and Hsinchu are more affordable than the global median – Taichung 18% lower, Hsinchu 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 NT$147

$3.72 NT$122

20.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.20 NT$989

$28.10 NT$921

7.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 NT$152

$4.54 NT$149

1.98%

Cappuccino

$2.80 NT$91.7

$2.84 NT$93.1

-1.41%

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

$0.98 NT$32.06

$0.95 NT$31.08

3.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$24.29

$0.67 NT$21.81

10.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$49.57

$1.89 NT$62.1

-20.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NT$86.4

$2.27 NT$74.5

16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.23 NT$106

$2.77 NT$90.7

16.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 NT$56.4

$1.68 NT$55.0

2.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 NT$84.0

$4.57 NT$150

-43.98%

Eggs

$2.53 NT$82.8

$2.77 NT$90.6

-8.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.44 NT$932

$35.06 NT$1,148

-18.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 NT$253

$6.95 NT$228

10.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 NT$527

$20.58 NT$674

-21.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 NT$139

$2.57 NT$84.3

65.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$62.9

$2.49 NT$81.5

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 NT$101

$3.32 NT$109

-7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 NT$70.1

$3.04 NT$99.6

-29.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 NT$39.56

$2.36 NT$77.3

-48.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 NT$60.9

$2.35 NT$77.0

-20.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NT$75.0

$1.95 NT$63.8

17.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 NT$29.15

$1.32 NT$43.31

-32.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 NT$120

$3.85 NT$126

-4.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.47 NT$507

$12.19 NT$399

26.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 NT$49.90

$1.86 NT$61.0

-18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 NT$79.0

$2.33 NT$76.4

3.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$20.46

$0.52 NT$16.93

19.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.41 NT$603

$38.34 NT$1,256

-51.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NT$86.3

$3.09 NT$101

-14.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.51

$0.79 NT$25.90

-5.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 NT$303

$7.03 NT$230

31.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.86

$1.02 NT$33.39

0.98%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$35.7K NT$1.2M

-4.71%

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

$22.9K NT$750.4K

$23.1K NT$758.3K

-1.05%

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

$122 NT$3,983

$101 NT$3,316

20.09%

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

$14.50 NT$475

$18.84 NT$617

-23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.56 NT$674

$21.07 NT$690

-2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.13 NT$1,020

$49.92 NT$1,635

-37.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 NT$371

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$331

$10.09 NT$331

0.20%

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

$337 NT$11.0K

$747 NT$24.5K

-54.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K NT$679.6K

$17.1K NT$559.9K

21.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NT$2,276

$56.4 NT$1,848

23.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 NT$1,145

$34.22 NT$1,121

2.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 NT$2,705

$75.6 NT$2,478

9.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NT$3,675

$105 NT$3,441

6.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 NT$12.6K

$429 NT$14.0K

-10.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 NT$8,870

$254 NT$8,333

6.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 NT$38.3K

$1,094 NT$35.8K

6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 NT$24.1K

$742 NT$24.3K

-0.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,799 NT$190.0K

$6,904 NT$226.1K

-15.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,113 NT$134.7K

$4,280 NT$140.2K

-3.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 NT$45.4K

$2,434 NT$79.7K

-43.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

2.13

6.57%

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

Last update for Taichung: November 1, 2026

Last update for Hsinchu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$368 33.1%

Hsinchu

$406 35.6% 10.1% $37

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$271 24.4%

Hsinchu

$254 22.3% 6% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$157 14.1%

Hsinchu

$141 12.4% 9.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$135 12.1%

Hsinchu

$122 10.7% 9.3% $13

Eating Out

Taichung

$103 9.3%

Hsinchu

$98 8.6% 5% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$51 4.6%

Hsinchu

$70 6.2% 36.5% $19

Getting Around

Taichung

$27 2.5%

Hsinchu

$47 4.2% 73.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $384 in Taichung versus $429 in Hsinchu. 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 75% higher in Hsinchu. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Taichung versus $28 in Hsinchu. Groceries tell a different story – $368 in Taichung vs $406 in Hsinchu – so Taichung wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

453,120

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.05 USD

100 TWD = 2.72 EUR

100 TWD = 3.05 USD

100 TWD = 2.72 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Taichung Hsinchu 79 km

From you

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 Hsinchu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,668 per month in Taichung and $1,708 in Hsinchu. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $384 there versus $429 in Hsinchu.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Hsinchu, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $337 per month in Taichung and $747 in Hsinchu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,112 in Taichung and $1,139 in Hsinchu. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Taichung. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hsinchu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.