Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Zhongli City

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongli City: $1,005 a month against $1,112 in Taichung, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Zhongli City
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Zhongli City Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,112

/mo nomad

Zhongli City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taichung and in Zhongli City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taichung and in Zhongli City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,112 in Taichung versus $1,005 in Zhongli City.

Taichung $1,112
Zhongli City $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Taichung versus $1,698 in Zhongli City.

Taichung $1,856
Zhongli City $1,698

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,601 in Taichung versus $2,392 in Zhongli City.

Taichung $2,601
Zhongli City $2,392

Living in Taichung is roughly 11% more expensive than in Zhongli City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taichung 18% lower, Zhongli City 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.69 NT$153

$4.60 NT$150

1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.30 NT$1,021

$30.45 NT$993

2.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.64 NT$151

$4.86 NT$158

-4.53%

Cappuccino

$2.89 NT$94.4

$2.52 NT$82.3

14.68%

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

$1.03 NT$33.52

$0.99 NT$32.20

4.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 NT$24.62

$0.68 NT$22.12

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 NT$48.83

$1.50 NT$48.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$86.8

$2.68 NT$87.4

-0.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 NT$101

$3.22 NT$105

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 NT$53.7

$1.67 NT$54.5

-1.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 NT$84.3

$2.62 NT$85.3

-1.15%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.9

$2.51 NT$81.7

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.53 NT$930

$12.15 NT$396

134.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 NT$253

$6.60 NT$215

17.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 NT$541

$15.66 NT$511

5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 NT$137

$3.64 NT$119

15.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 NT$63.2

$1.85 NT$60.5

4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NT$98.2

$2.93 NT$95.6

2.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 NT$69.5

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 NT$39.53

$1.22 NT$39.89

-0.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 NT$63.0

$1.86 NT$60.5

3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NT$73.5

$2.29 NT$74.7

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 NT$29.05

$0.88 NT$28.56

1.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 NT$124

$3.80 NT$124

-0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 NT$492

$15.54 NT$507

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 NT$52.0

$1.54 NT$50.2

3.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$79.1

$2.42 NT$78.9

0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 NT$20.59

$0.59 NT$19.37

6.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.67 NT$609

$33.95 NT$1,107

-45.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 NT$84.0

$2.57 NT$83.8

0.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 NT$29.30

$0.52 NT$16.84

73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.19 NT$300

$9.25 NT$301

-0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.92

$0.95 NT$31.02

9.47%

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

$35.3K NT$1.2M

$34.4K NT$1.1M

2.48%

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

$22.2K NT$725.0K

$22.3K NT$726.4K

-0.19%

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

$122 NT$3,981

$101 NT$3,288

21.09%

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

$14.52 NT$473

$14.83 NT$484

-2.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.46 NT$667

$16.67 NT$544

22.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.28 NT$1,020

$36.46 NT$1,189

-14.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 NT$372

Cinema Ticket

$10.22 NT$333

$10.03 NT$327

1.89%

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

$326 NT$10.6K

$332 NT$10.8K

-1.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K NT$536.4K

$16.7K NT$543.5K

-1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 NT$2,340

$71.3 NT$2,323

0.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.78 NT$1,167

$34.96 NT$1,140

2.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 NT$2,662

$53.6 NT$1,749

52.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 NT$3,610

$105 NT$3,437

5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 NT$12.5K

$440 NT$14.4K

-13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 NT$8,667

$246 NT$8,019

8.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 NT$38.7K

$857 NT$28.0K

38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 NT$24.1K

$720 NT$23.5K

2.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,811 NT$189.5K

$6,314 NT$205.9K

-7.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 NT$139.1K

$4,301 NT$140.2K

-0.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,400 NT$45.6K

$2,257 NT$73.6K

-37.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

2.1

8.10%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$368 33.1%

Zhongli City

$308 30.7% 16.2% $59

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$266 23.9%

Zhongli City

$246 24.5% 7.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$157 14.1%

Zhongli City

$132 13.2% 15.7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$135 12.1%

Zhongli City

$119 11.9% 11.6% $16

Eating Out

Taichung

$106 9.6%

Zhongli City

$101 10.1% 4.7% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$52 4.7%

Zhongli City

$57 5.6% 9.2% $4.8

Getting Around

Taichung

$28 2.5%

Zhongli City

$41 4.1% 46.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $382 in Taichung and $440 in Zhongli City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31 in Taichung vs $30 in Zhongli City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $308 per month, with Zhongli City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇹🇼 Zhongli City

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

Same time as Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

396,453

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Taichung vs Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongli City wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Taichung. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zhongli City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Taichung. 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: $382 in Taichung versus $440 in Zhongli City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zhongli City – a meal for two runs $30 versus $31 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,112 per month in Taichung versus $1,005 in Zhongli City – Zhongli City is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Zhongli City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Safety-wise, Taichung and Zhongli City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.