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: $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,884 in Tainan versus $1,952 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,690 in Tainan versus $2,719 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 9% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tainan 19% lower, Kaohsiung 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 NT$197

$4.12 NT$133

47.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.21 NT$879

$33.84 NT$1,093

-19.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.94 NT$160

$5.39 NT$174

-8.35%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NT$113

$2.96 NT$95.8

17.57%

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

$1.13 NT$36.39

$0.98 NT$31.80

15.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.19

$0.76 NT$24.57

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 NT$109

$1.74 NT$56.1

93.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$112

$2.70 NT$87.2

27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$104

$3.55 NT$115

-9.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.6

$1.97 NT$63.8

-4.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.6

$2.63 NT$85.0

9.13%

Eggs

$2.78 NT$89.8

$3.21 NT$104

-13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.96 NT$645

$15.90 NT$514

25.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 NT$327

$9.50 NT$307

6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.25 NT$654

$17.68 NT$571

14.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 NT$139

$6.13 NT$198

-29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 NT$94.8

$2.55 NT$82.6

14.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$93.7

$2.82 NT$91.0

2.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 NT$134

$4.03 NT$130

3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 NT$94.4

$2.96 NT$95.6

-1.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$73.7

$2.25 NT$72.7

1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NT$54.9

$1.89 NT$61.0

-10.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.55

$1.15 NT$37.18

-6.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$131

$4.31 NT$139

-6.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.52 NT$437

$15.26 NT$493

-11.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$56.7

$1.71 NT$55.4

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$76.0

$2.56 NT$82.8

-8.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 NT$18.90

$0.88 NT$28.29

-32.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.97 NT$710

$27.22 NT$880

-19.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 NT$93.6

$2.86 NT$92.4

1.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.57

$0.77 NT$24.96

2.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$334

$6.28 NT$203

64.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.69

$1.03 NT$33.20

-1.94%

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

$38.6K NT$1.2M

$34.1K NT$1.1M

13.18%

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

$26.4K NT$854.6K

$24.9K NT$805.6K

6.08%

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

$84.6 NT$2,734

$104 NT$3,372

-18.93%

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

$18.51 NT$598

$24.88 NT$804

-25.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.10 NT$746

$25.03 NT$809

-7.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.10 NT$1,296

$39.26 NT$1,269

2.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.06 NT$487

$11.20 NT$362

34.46%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 NT$379

$10.35 NT$334

13.33%

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

$273 NT$8,820

$422 NT$13.6K

-35.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,899 NT$222.9K

$11.2K NT$361.7K

-38.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NT$1,860

$95.4 NT$3,082

-39.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.71 NT$992

$35.24 NT$1,139

-12.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 NT$2,993

$88.6 NT$2,863

4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NT$3,922

$103 NT$3,323

18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 NT$10.7K

$437 NT$14.1K

-24.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 NT$6,264

$274 NT$8,865

-29.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 NT$22.5K

$933 NT$30.1K

-25.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.6K

$704 NT$22.7K

3.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 NT$98.6K

$4,554 NT$147.2K

-33.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,037 NT$98.1K

$3,076 NT$99.4K

-1.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,352 NT$43.7K

$1,502 NT$48.5K

-10.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

2.3

-20.43%

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

Last update for Tainan: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $331 in Tainan and $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 11% 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: $27.00 in Tainan vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $383, 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,077 vs $1,186 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $331 in Tainan versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Tainan versus $422 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. 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 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.