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: $1,203 in Taichung versus $1,122 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,954 in Taichung versus $1,878 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,704 in Taichung versus $2,634 in Hua-lien.

Living in Taichung is roughly 7% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 10% lower, Hua-lien 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.99 NT$158

$4.14 NT$131

20.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 NT$948

$34.47 NT$1,091

-13.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$173

$4.64 NT$147

17.67%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$92.8

$3.42 NT$108

-14.33%

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

$1.16 NT$36.63

$0.95 NT$29.97

22.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.21

$0.61 NT$19.22

40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 NT$68.4

$1.27 NT$40.10

70.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 NT$89.6

$1.95 NT$61.7

45.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.79 NT$120

$3.15 NT$99.7

20.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 NT$55.5

$1.75 NT$55.4

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.8

$4.28 NT$136

-35.28%

Eggs

$3.29 NT$104

$2.44 NT$77.3

34.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.49 NT$997

$13.80 NT$437

128.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 NT$256

$4.83 NT$153

67.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.61 NT$494

$16.40 NT$519

-4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 NT$150

$4.44 NT$141

6.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NT$57.7

$2.55 NT$80.8

-28.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.2

$4.06 NT$128

-43.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$97.2

$3.83 NT$121

-19.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 NT$42.59

$4.41 NT$140

-69.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 NT$59.4

$4.00 NT$127

-53.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.3

$2.55 NT$80.6

-7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NT$40.64

$1.35 NT$42.64

-5.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 NT$131

$5.15 NT$163

-19.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.69 NT$497

$14.34 NT$454

9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.1

$2.25 NT$71.3

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 NT$82.9

$2.93 NT$92.7

-10.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 NT$27.25

$0.81 NT$25.69

6.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.22 NT$925

$39.41 NT$1,247

-25.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 NT$93.7

$3.35 NT$106

-11.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 NT$38.90

$0.77 NT$24.40

59.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 NT$327

$12.44 NT$394

-16.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.79

$1.03 NT$32.69

-2.91%

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

$34.4K NT$1.1M

$40.8K NT$1.3M

-15.71%

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

$26.4K NT$835.4K

$29.0K NT$919.4K

-9.13%

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

$97.3 NT$3,080

$75.2 NT$2,380

29.42%

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

$24.15 NT$764

$33.95 NT$1,074

-28.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.53 NT$681

$25.35 NT$802

-15.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.96 NT$1,138

$36.92 NT$1,169

-2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.14 NT$321

$15.09 NT$477

-32.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 NT$337

$8.83 NT$279

20.72%

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

$356 NT$11.3K

$806 NT$25.5K

-55.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K NT$664.8K

$15.2K NT$481.2K

38.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 NT$2,712

$27.65 NT$875

209.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.47 NT$1,091

$46.69 NT$1,478

-26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 NT$2,972

$70.0 NT$2,216

34.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 NT$4,137

$126 NT$3,990

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 NT$12.2K

$433 NT$13.7K

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,893

$292 NT$9,227

-3.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 NT$32.4K

$1,046 NT$33.1K

-2.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 NT$22.6K

$719 NT$22.8K

-0.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,104 NT$224.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,345 NT$169.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,415 NT$44.8K

$2,928 NT$92.7K

-51.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

1.57

38.85%

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

Last update for Taichung: April 26, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Taichung and $433 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 $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $398 vs $357, with Hua-lien cheaper for home cooking.

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 7% 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, Hua-lien earns 107% less. 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: $385 in Taichung versus $433 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $34.00 versus $30.00 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,122 in Hua-lien versus $1,203 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 7% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.