Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Tainan: $1,068 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Tainan
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Tainan Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Tainan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,068

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tainan and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Tainan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Tainan $1,068
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,837 in Tainan versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Tainan $1,837
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,606 in Tainan versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Tainan $2,606
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Tainan costs roughly 60% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 21% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 NT$121

$20.77 $20.77

-81.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 NT$799

$84.6 $84.6

-70.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 NT$155

$12.32 $12.32

-61.12%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NT$106

$5.63 $5.63

-41.92%

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

$0.95 NT$30.66

$3.72 $3.72

-74.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$20.54

$2.50 $2.50

-74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.6

$8.05 $8.05

-64.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NT$113

$9.01 $9.01

-61.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$1.12 $1.12

175.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.5

$3.75 $3.75

-52.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NT$102

$3.26 $3.26

-3.37%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$4.17 $4.17

-34.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 NT$632

$12.90 $12.90

51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 NT$320

$14.16 $14.16

-30.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 NT$682

$16.22 $16.22

29.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 NT$161

$4.33 $4.33

14.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$1.46 $1.46

95.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$4.51 $4.51

-33.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NT$145

$4.34 $4.34

3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.4

$2.58 $2.58

3.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$73.6

$2.35 $2.35

-3.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.78 $1.78

-3.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.31

$2.22 $2.22

-48.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$124

$9.88 $9.88

-61.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 NT$452

$15.08 $15.08

-7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$2.92 $2.92

-43.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$3.46 $3.46

-37.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.68

$1.49 $1.49

-59.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 NT$1,099

$41.72 $41.72

-18.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 NT$82.2

$2.73 $2.73

-7.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.92

$1.66 $1.66

-53.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 NT$186

$35.30 $35.30

-83.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.90

$0.95 $0.95

6.32%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$36.0K $36.0K

-9.00%

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

$24.1K NT$780.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-11.09%

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

$87.2 NT$2,828

$229 $229

-61.92%

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

$17.51 NT$568

$59.4 $59.4

-70.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.30 NT$691

$69.9 $69.9

-69.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 NT$1,480

$57.2 $57.2

-20.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$311

$14.28 $14.28

-32.77%

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

$433 NT$14.1K

$1,506 $1,506

-71.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,413 NT$175.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

-74.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 NT$2,050

$52.8 $52.8

19.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 NT$1,271

$43.82 $43.82

-10.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,716

$84.8 $84.8

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,353

$103 $103

0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 NT$9,624

$1,907 $1,907

-84.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NT$6,470

$1,274 $1,274

-84.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 NT$27.4K

$3,664 $3,664

-76.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NT$22.6K

$2,538 $2,538

-72.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 NT$133.7K

$7,614 $7,614

-45.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,022 NT$98.0K

$3,157 $3,157

-4.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,376 NT$44.6K

$5,121 $5,121

-73.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

6.79

-64.65%

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

Last update for Tainan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tainan

$393 36.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 2.9% $11

Accommodation & Living

Tainan

$200 18.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 539% $1.1K

Clothing & Footwear

Tainan

$130 12.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 1.8% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tainan

$126 11.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 184% $232

Eating Out

Tainan

$111 10.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 219% $243

Sport & Entertainment

Tainan

$65 6.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 32.3% $21

Getting Around

Tainan

$43 4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 37.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $297 in Tainan and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 272% 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: $25.00 in Tainan vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $405 per month, with Tainan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Tainan

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

19:48 7:48 PM

13 h behind Tainan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,886,033

974,447

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

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Between locations

Tainan Austin, TX 12,840 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Tainan
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Tainan vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan wins on cost – living expenses run 149% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tainan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 272% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $297 in Tainan versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,068 per month in Tainan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tainan runs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,068 in Tainan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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, Tainan and Austin, TX 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.