Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Zhubei City Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Zhubei City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,175 in Taichung versus $1,119 in Zhubei City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,977 in Taichung versus $2,029 in Zhubei City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,779 in Taichung versus $2,940 in Zhubei City.

Living in Taichung is roughly 5% more expensive than Zhubei City, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$4.96 NT$156

4.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.14 NT$950

$34.24 NT$1,079

-11.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 NT$173

$5.67 NT$179

-3.35%

Cappuccino

$3.03 NT$95.6

$3.70 NT$117

-18.11%

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

$1.16 NT$36.65

$0.98 NT$30.98

18.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 NT$27.04

$0.63 NT$19.84

36.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$68.9

$2.26 NT$71.3

-3.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 NT$92.5

$2.69 NT$84.9

8.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.86 NT$122

$3.25 NT$102

18.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$54.9

$1.99 NT$62.8

-12.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.8

$4.34 NT$137

-35.02%

Eggs

$3.27 NT$103

$3.02 NT$95.0

8.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.67 NT$998

$13.73 NT$433

130.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 NT$260

$8.74 NT$275

-5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 NT$506

$27.81 NT$876

-42.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$146

$4.38 NT$138

5.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.6

$2.58 NT$81.2

-31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.1

$2.78 NT$87.5

-18.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.7

$3.95 NT$124

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 NT$40.16

$4.02 NT$127

-68.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.53 NT$79.9

-22.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 NT$74.4

$2.65 NT$83.4

-10.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.98

$1.39 NT$43.65

-6.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$4.17 NT$131

-5.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$9.15 NT$288

77.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 NT$53.8

$1.57 NT$49.58

8.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.8

$2.70 NT$85.0

-1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 NT$29.59

$0.65 NT$20.40

44.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.86 NT$909

$38.26 NT$1,205

-24.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 NT$92.2

$3.40 NT$107

-14.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 NT$39.01

$0.63 NT$19.78

96.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 NT$323

$10.19 NT$321

0.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.05

$1.03 NT$32.42

1.94%

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

$34.5K NT$1.1M

$41.8K NT$1.3M

-17.44%

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

$26.0K NT$817.6K

$27.2K NT$856.5K

-4.53%

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

$96.6 NT$3,045

$93.0 NT$2,930

3.91%

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

$24.51 NT$772

$33.79 NT$1,064

-27.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.07 NT$695

$24.60 NT$775

-10.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 NT$1,148

$34.24 NT$1,079

6.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.09 NT$318

$15.27 NT$481

-33.92%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 NT$332

$11.76 NT$370

-10.54%

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

$355 NT$11.2K

$690 NT$21.7K

-48.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K NT$657.4K

$15.2K NT$479.7K

37.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,648

$85.4 NT$2,690

-1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.06 NT$1,073

$47.83 NT$1,507

-28.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 NT$3,052

$99.9 NT$3,147

-3.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 NT$4,096

$115 NT$3,617

13.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 NT$11.9K

$427 NT$13.4K

-11.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,192

$212 NT$6,690

37.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.3K

$1,180 NT$37.2K

-10.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.0K

$863 NT$27.2K

-15.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,297 NT$229.9K

$16.8K NT$528.0K

-56.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,260 NT$165.7K

$9,937 NT$313.1K

-47.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,420 NT$44.7K

$2,432 NT$76.6K

-41.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.4

-9.17%

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

Last update for Taichung: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zhubei City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Taichung and $427 in Zhubei City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 71% 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 Zhubei City. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 vs $394, with Zhubei City 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 Zhubei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhubei City wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Taichung. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zhubei City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Zhubei City earns 71% 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 $427 in Zhubei City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zhubei City – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $30.00 in Taichung. 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 $1,119 in Zhubei City – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,119 in Zhubei City versus $1,175 in Taichung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhubei City but tight or insufficient in Taichung. The gap between the two cities makes Zhubei City 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 Zhubei City 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 Zhubei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.