Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Miaoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Miaoli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,175 in Taichung versus $899 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Taichung versus $1,651 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Taichung versus $2,404 in Miaoli.

Living in Taichung is roughly 31% more expensive than Miaoli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 12% lower, Miaoli 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$3.49 NT$110

48.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$949

$25.88 NT$815

16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$172

$5.03 NT$158

8.95%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.5

$2.84 NT$89.3

6.69%

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

$1.16 NT$36.61

$1.11 NT$34.88

4.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.02

$0.69 NT$21.86

24.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$1.71 NT$53.7

28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.4

$2.59 NT$81.4

13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$3.10 NT$97.5

24.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$1.45 NT$45.58

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.7

$2.52 NT$79.4

11.90%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$2.29 NT$71.9

42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$997

$9.25 NT$291

242.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$8.14 NT$256

1.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$20.58 NT$648

-21.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$3.33 NT$105

39.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.5

$1.04 NT$32.67

69.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.0

$2.71 NT$85.2

-16.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$3.05 NT$95.9

-2.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.12

$2.39 NT$75.4

-46.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$1.90 NT$59.7

3.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.3

$2.87 NT$90.4

-17.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.95

$0.93 NT$29.16

39.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$6.46 NT$203

-38.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$11.19 NT$352

45.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.85 NT$58.3

-7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.7

$2.37 NT$74.5

12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.57

$0.87 NT$27.54

8.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$908

$39.63 NT$1,247

-27.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.1

$3.00 NT$94.3

-2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$38.97

$0.73 NT$22.84

69.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$8.25 NT$260

24.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.02

$1.07 NT$33.64

-1.87%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$36.6K NT$1.2M

-5.62%

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

$26.0K NT$816.9K

$26.2K NT$823.6K

-0.81%

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

$96.6 NT$3,042

$64.4 NT$2,027

50.06%

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

$24.51 NT$771

$28.45 NT$895

-13.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$18.94 NT$596

16.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,147

$36.89 NT$1,161

-1.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$15.01 NT$473

-32.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$331

$10.21 NT$321

3.04%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$566 NT$17.8K

-37.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$656.8K

$30.4K NT$958.1K

-31.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,646

$31.72 NT$999

164.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,072

$23.77 NT$748

43.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,049

$68.8 NT$2,166

40.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,092

$103 NT$3,233

26.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$345 NT$10.9K

9.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,184

$168 NT$5,279

73.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.2K

$1,039 NT$32.7K

1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$730 NT$23.0K

0.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$2,471 NT$77.8K

-42.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

9.00%

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

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Taichung and $345 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 74% 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 $26.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $314 per month, with Miaoli 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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung and Miaoli differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,175 vs $899 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Miaoli earns 74% 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 $345 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Taichung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $30.00 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,175 in Taichung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Taichung. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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 Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.