Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Taitung Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Taitung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Taichung versus $1,115 in Taitung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,940 in Taichung versus $1,839 in Taitung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,698 in Taichung versus $2,562 in Taitung.

Living in Taichung is roughly 6% more expensive than Taitung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 12% lower, Taitung 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 NT$158

$4.01 NT$127

24.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.88 NT$976

$40.84 NT$1,291

-24.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$171

$5.71 NT$181

-5.60%

Cappuccino

$3.04 NT$96.2

$3.80 NT$120

-20.00%

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

$1.10 NT$34.75

$1.13 NT$35.85

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 NT$25.19

$0.79 NT$25.02

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 NT$68.5

$3.32 NT$105

-34.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 NT$89.2

$3.45 NT$109

-18.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.77 NT$119

$3.11 NT$98.5

21.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 NT$55.3

$1.97 NT$62.3

-11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.1

$3.05 NT$96.3

-10.82%

Eggs

$3.25 NT$103

$2.40 NT$75.7

35.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.55 NT$997

$19.92 NT$630

58.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 NT$250

$4.04 NT$128

95.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 NT$490

$19.97 NT$631

-22.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 NT$142

$2.02 NT$63.8

122.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 NT$56.7

$2.88 NT$91.0

-37.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.2

$2.08 NT$65.6

5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 NT$93.2

$4.33 NT$137

-31.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 NT$42.24

$2.80 NT$88.4

-52.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 NT$59.2

$2.26 NT$71.5

-17.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 NT$75.0

$1.96 NT$62.0

20.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NT$39.79

$1.32 NT$41.79

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 NT$131

$3.97 NT$125

4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.02 NT$507

$14.07 NT$445

13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$53.8

$1.79 NT$56.7

-5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 NT$83.2

$2.42 NT$76.4

8.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$27.78

$0.86 NT$27.31

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.52 NT$902

$39.36 NT$1,244

-27.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 NT$89.0

$2.94 NT$92.9

-4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NT$37.55

$0.73 NT$23.00

63.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 NT$325

$10.36 NT$327

-0.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.23

$1.04 NT$32.97

0.96%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$37.5K NT$1.2M

-11.19%

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

$26.4K NT$834.0K

$28.0K NT$884.0K

-5.66%

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

$95.6 NT$3,022

$86.3 NT$2,728

10.77%

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

$25.01 NT$791

$18.88 NT$597

32.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.47 NT$679

$25.12 NT$794

-14.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 NT$1,126

$37.04 NT$1,171

-3.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.26 NT$324

$14.91 NT$471

-31.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 NT$336

$10.02 NT$317

6.09%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$634 NT$20.1K

-44.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K NT$665.4K

$18.9K NT$598.3K

11.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.0 NT$2,625

$30.52 NT$965

172.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.55 NT$1,092

$16.57 NT$524

108.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 NT$2,966

$53.0 NT$1,674

77.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,116

$124 NT$3,930

4.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$381 NT$12.0K

$439 NT$13.9K

-13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 NT$8,999

$284 NT$8,979

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 NT$32.5K

$1,027 NT$32.5K

0.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 NT$22.8K

$722 NT$22.8K

-0.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,118 NT$225.0K

$6,522 NT$206.2K

9.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,250 NT$166.0K

$5,961 NT$188.4K

-11.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,386 NT$43.8K

$639 NT$20.2K

116.68%

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 9, 2026

Last update for Taitung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $381 in Taichung and $439 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taichung pays 117% 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: $31.00 in Taichung vs $41.00 in Taitung. Groceries flip the comparison at $395 vs $348, with Taitung 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 Taitung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taitung wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Taichung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taitung the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Taichung pays 117% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $381 in Taichung versus $439 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Taitung – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $31.00 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,182 per month in Taichung versus $1,115 in Taitung – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,115 in Taitung versus $1,182 in Taichung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taitung but tight or insufficient in Taichung. The gap between the two cities makes Taitung 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 Taitung 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 Taitung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.