Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Taichung versus $1,071 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,839 in Taichung versus $1,820 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,566 in Taichung versus $2,569 in Hua-lien.

Living in Taichung is roughly 4% more expensive than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 19% lower, Hua-lien 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 NT$150

$4.01 NT$128

17.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.46 NT$970

$27.86 NT$887

9.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 NT$148

$4.17 NT$133

11.03%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.4

$2.71 NT$86.3

3.69%

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

$0.98 NT$31.24

$0.82 NT$26.02

19.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.50

$0.55 NT$17.52

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$48.18

$1.27 NT$40.41

18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 NT$89.2

$1.75 NT$55.6

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.2

$2.88 NT$91.7

7.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 NT$55.9

$1.70 NT$54.0

2.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 NT$84.1

$4.58 NT$146

-42.36%

Eggs

$2.53 NT$80.7

$1.84 NT$58.7

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.94 NT$890

$18.51 NT$589

50.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 NT$242

$6.23 NT$198

21.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 NT$522

$25.28 NT$805

-35.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 NT$132

$2.66 NT$84.7

55.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 NT$61.8

$2.44 NT$77.6

-20.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 NT$57.3

$3.29 NT$105

-45.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 NT$68.2

$2.97 NT$94.4

-27.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 NT$39.18

$2.30 NT$73.3

-46.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$60.2

$2.32 NT$73.8

-18.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NT$72.9

$2.09 NT$66.5

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.06

$0.90 NT$28.63

1.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$119

$3.95 NT$126

-5.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.68 NT$499

$12.31 NT$392

27.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 NT$48.53

$1.89 NT$60.3

-19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$77.4

$2.32 NT$73.8

4.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 NT$22.71

$0.61 NT$19.38

16.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 NT$975

$35.17 NT$1,120

-12.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 NT$82.1

$3.09 NT$98.3

-16.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$30.83

$0.30 NT$9.49

223.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 NT$304

$10.19 NT$324

-6.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.74

$0.93 NT$29.64

10.75%

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

$32.8K NT$1.0M

$33.2K NT$1.1M

-1.32%

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

$22.6K NT$720.7K

$26.9K NT$855.0K

-15.71%

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

$107 NT$3,419

$102 NT$3,252

5.15%

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

$14.56 NT$463

$19.05 NT$606

-23.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.13 NT$673

$12.41 NT$395

70.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.88 NT$1,015

$35.67 NT$1,136

-10.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.13 NT$418

Cinema Ticket

$9.32 NT$297

$10.11 NT$322

-7.81%

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

$335 NT$10.7K

$734 NT$23.4K

-54.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NT$543.0K

$16.7K NT$531.0K

2.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 NT$2,162

$56.2 NT$1,788

20.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.21 NT$1,153

$35.96 NT$1,145

0.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 NT$2,617

$78.3 NT$2,494

4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NT$3,431

$104 NT$3,319

3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 NT$12.6K

$400 NT$12.7K

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 NT$8,702

$246 NT$7,831

11.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 NT$37.6K

$967 NT$30.8K

22.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 NT$23.7K

$735 NT$23.4K

1.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 NT$225.3K

$7,155 NT$227.8K

-1.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,272 NT$167.9K

$4,998 NT$159.1K

5.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,377 NT$43.8K

$2,856 NT$90.9K

-51.78%

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: August 16, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Taichung and $400 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 107% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Taichung vs $28.00 in Hua-lien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $359 per month, with Hua-lien cheaper across the board.

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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Taichung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 107% lower in Hua-lien. 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: $396 in Taichung versus $400 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Taichung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $30.00 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,071 in Hua-lien versus $1,112 in Taichung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Taichung. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.