Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Taichung versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Taichung versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taichung is roughly 2% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 12% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$4.03 NT$127

28.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$949

$33.84 NT$1,065

-10.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$172

$5.54 NT$174

-1.08%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.5

$3.08 NT$96.8

-1.62%

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

$1.16 NT$36.61

$1.02 NT$32.01

13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.02

$0.78 NT$24.41

10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$1.72 NT$54.1

27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.4

$2.77 NT$87.2

5.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$3.62 NT$114

6.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$2.05 NT$64.5

-15.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.7

$2.76 NT$86.8

2.17%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$3.21 NT$101

1.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$997

$15.85 NT$499

99.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$9.05 NT$285

-8.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$17.92 NT$564

-10.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$6.00 NT$189

-22.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.5

$2.58 NT$81.2

-31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.0

$2.77 NT$87.1

-18.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$4.15 NT$131

-28.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.12

$2.99 NT$94.0

-57.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.21 NT$69.7

-10.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.3

$1.94 NT$61.2

21.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.95

$1.16 NT$36.44

12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$4.34 NT$137

-8.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$15.85 NT$499

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.73 NT$54.5

-1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.7

$2.54 NT$80.0

4.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.57

$0.82 NT$25.70

14.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$908

$26.88 NT$846

7.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.1

$2.95 NT$93.0

-1.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$38.97

$0.73 NT$22.97

69.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$5.98 NT$188

71.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.02

$1.04 NT$32.73

0.96%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

1.96%

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

$26.0K NT$816.9K

$25.1K NT$790.9K

3.28%

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

$96.6 NT$3,042

$104 NT$3,265

-6.83%

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

$24.51 NT$771

$25.58 NT$805

-4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$25.14 NT$791

-12.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,147

$38.16 NT$1,201

-4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$11.48 NT$361

-12.11%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$331

$10.07 NT$317

4.47%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$431 NT$13.6K

-17.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$656.8K

$11.4K NT$358.3K

83.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,646

$94.9 NT$2,987

-11.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,072

$35.33 NT$1,112

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,049

$91.4 NT$2,878

5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,092

$101 NT$3,170

29.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$432 NT$13.6K

-12.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,184

$282 NT$8,866

3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.2K

$940 NT$29.6K

12.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$681 NT$21.4K

7.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.7K

$4,727 NT$148.8K

54.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.6K

$3,275 NT$103.1K

60.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$1,509 NT$47.5K

-5.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.3

-5.22%

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

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Taichung and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 6% 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 Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 vs $385, with Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung and Kaohsiung differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,175 vs $1,149 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 6% 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: $379 in Taichung versus $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Taichung versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Taichung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,175 in Taichung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Taichung. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.