Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tainan versus $1,121 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,035 in Tainan versus $1,819 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,873 in Tainan versus $2,517 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Tainan is roughly 7% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tainan 13% lower, Kaohsiung 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 NT$154

$5.38 NT$171

-9.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.87 NT$789

$31.67 NT$1,005

-21.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 NT$149

$4.85 NT$154

-3.09%

Cappuccino

$3.33 NT$106

$2.81 NT$89.1

18.51%

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

$1.36 NT$43.21

$1.08 NT$34.26

25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$28.83

$0.66 NT$20.98

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 NT$99.8

$1.56 NT$49.58

101.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 NT$109

$2.46 NT$78.2

39.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 NT$97.2

$3.18 NT$101

-3.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 NT$56.5

$2.17 NT$68.8

-17.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 NT$94.0

$3.06 NT$97.2

-3.27%

Eggs

$3.07 NT$97.4

$2.57 NT$81.6

19.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.47 NT$713

$15.63 NT$496

43.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 NT$421

$7.94 NT$252

67.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 NT$679

$15.18 NT$482

40.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.44 NT$173

$6.56 NT$208

-17.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 NT$91.5

$2.76 NT$87.6

4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 NT$155

$2.56 NT$81.1

90.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.20 NT$229

$3.09 NT$98.0

133.01%

Potato (1kg)

$4.66 NT$148

$2.67 NT$84.7

74.53%

Onion (1kg)

$4.40 NT$139

$2.07 NT$65.6

112.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NT$91.7

$2.38 NT$75.5

21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 NT$45.64

$1.08 NT$34.11

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$129

$4.18 NT$133

-2.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 NT$378

$15.86 NT$503

-24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 NT$64.5

$1.66 NT$52.8

22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$71.2

$2.24 NT$71.1

0.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.70

$0.74 NT$23.41

-12.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.59 NT$1,066

$12.69 NT$402

164.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NT$87.5

$2.63 NT$83.4

4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$30.87

$0.76 NT$24.00

27.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 NT$175

$5.54 NT$176

-0.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.35

$1.04 NT$32.99

-1.92%

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

$36.9K NT$1.2M

$34.2K NT$1.1M

7.88%

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

$25.0K NT$793.7K

$23.9K NT$759.4K

4.51%

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

$90.2 NT$2,860

$86.3 NT$2,739

4.42%

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

$17.57 NT$557

$17.06 NT$541

2.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 NT$695

$26.21 NT$831

-16.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 NT$1,459

$40.20 NT$1,275

14.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 NT$339

Cinema Ticket

$11.03 NT$350

$11.24 NT$357

-1.87%

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

$425 NT$13.5K

$465 NT$14.7K

-8.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,560 NT$176.4K

$14.3K NT$455.2K

-61.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 NT$2,993

$92.7 NT$2,941

1.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 NT$1,470

$33.78 NT$1,072

37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NT$3,780

$86.7 NT$2,750

37.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,920

$101 NT$3,203

22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 NT$9,853

$411 NT$13.0K

-24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 NT$6,150

$280 NT$8,899

-30.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 NT$26.8K

$985 NT$31.3K

-14.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 NT$22.9K

$688 NT$21.8K

4.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,189 NT$132.9K

$4,665 NT$148.0K

-10.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 NT$99.3K

$3,188 NT$101.1K

-1.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 NT$43.3K

$1,434 NT$45.5K

-4.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.56

-2.34%

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

Last update for Tainan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $311 in Tainan and $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Tainan vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $461 vs $362, with Kaohsiung 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

Tainan vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan and Kaohsiung differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,197 vs $1,121 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $311 in Tainan versus $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Tainan versus $465 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Tainan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $1,197 in Tainan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Tainan. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Tainan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.