Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,494 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Taichung versus $2,394 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Taichung versus $3,295 in Taipei.

Living in Taichung costs roughly 21% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taichung is 12% below, Taipei is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$6.64 NT$209

-22.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$949

$40.45 NT$1,273

-25.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$172

$5.79 NT$182

-5.35%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.5

$3.75 NT$118

-19.20%

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

$1.16 NT$36.61

$1.13 NT$35.42

2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.02

$0.72 NT$22.75

19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$3.31 NT$104

-33.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.4

$3.30 NT$104

-11.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$3.12 NT$98.2

23.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$1.98 NT$62.3

-12.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.7

$3.07 NT$96.5

-8.14%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$2.91 NT$91.7

12.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$997

$19.73 NT$621

60.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$9.90 NT$311

-16.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$20.36 NT$641

-21.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$5.15 NT$162

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.5

$2.92 NT$91.8

-39.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.0

$2.89 NT$90.8

-21.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$4.26 NT$134

-30.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.12

$2.79 NT$88.0

-54.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.19 NT$69.1

-10.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.3

$1.97 NT$62.1

19.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.95

$1.39 NT$43.72

-6.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$4.00 NT$126

-1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$14.48 NT$456

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.75 NT$55.1

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.7

$2.42 NT$76.2

9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.57

$0.89 NT$28.05

5.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$908

$41.16 NT$1,296

-29.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.1

$2.91 NT$91.6

0.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$38.97

$0.79 NT$24.94

56.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$10.05 NT$316

1.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.02

$1.07 NT$33.63

-1.87%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$38.1K NT$1.2M

-9.45%

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

$26.0K NT$816.9K

$27.9K NT$877.6K

-6.92%

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

$96.6 NT$3,042

$84.9 NT$2,672

13.83%

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

$24.51 NT$771

$18.69 NT$588

31.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$24.75 NT$779

-10.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,147

$42.03 NT$1,323

-13.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$14.06 NT$443

-28.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$331

$11.84 NT$373

-11.15%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$626 NT$19.7K

-43.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$656.8K

$18.6K NT$586.5K

11.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,646

$58.9 NT$1,855

42.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,072

$34.01 NT$1,071

0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,049

$95.1 NT$2,995

1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,092

$124 NT$3,891

5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$789 NT$24.8K

-51.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,184

$541 NT$17.0K

-46.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.2K

$1,667 NT$52.5K

-36.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$1,113 NT$35.0K

-34.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.7K

$13.7K NT$430.6K

-46.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.6K

$8,450 NT$266.0K

-37.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$1,713 NT$53.9K

-17.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.19

-0.46%

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

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Taichung and $789 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Taichung vs $40.00 in Taipei. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 vs $401, with Taipei 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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taichung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Taipei earns 21% 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 $789 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Taichung – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,175 per month in Taichung versus $1,494 in Taipei – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,494 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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 Taipei 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.