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: $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Tainan versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Tainan versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 7% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tainan 20% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 NT$193

$4.03 NT$127

51.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 NT$841

$33.84 NT$1,066

-21.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 NT$161

$5.54 NT$174

-7.76%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NT$110

$3.08 NT$96.9

13.64%

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

$1.12 NT$35.27

$1.02 NT$32.04

9.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.77

$0.78 NT$24.43

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 NT$104

$1.72 NT$54.1

91.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$105

$2.77 NT$87.2

20.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.3

$3.62 NT$114

-12.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$60.4

$2.05 NT$64.6

-6.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$95.0

$2.76 NT$86.9

9.42%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$89.7

$3.21 NT$101

-11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.81 NT$624

$15.85 NT$499

24.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 NT$315

$9.05 NT$285

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.31 NT$640

$17.92 NT$565

13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$137

$6.00 NT$189

-27.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.8

$2.58 NT$81.3

9.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$2.77 NT$87.2

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 NT$135

$4.15 NT$131

2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$2.99 NT$94.1

-4.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$2.21 NT$69.8

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$52.8

$1.94 NT$61.2

-13.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NT$33.30

$1.16 NT$36.47

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 NT$131

$4.34 NT$137

-4.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 NT$439

$15.85 NT$499

-12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NT$54.8

$1.73 NT$54.6

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.7

$2.54 NT$80.0

-5.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$19.56

$0.82 NT$25.73

-24.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.71 NT$684

$26.88 NT$847

-19.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$89.0

$2.95 NT$93.1

-4.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.63

$0.73 NT$22.99

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$326

$5.98 NT$188

73.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.08

$1.04 NT$32.76

-1.92%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

11.28%

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

$26.5K NT$836.1K

$25.1K NT$791.6K

5.62%

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

$86.7 NT$2,732

$104 NT$3,268

-16.41%

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

$18.57 NT$585

$25.58 NT$806

-27.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 NT$724

$25.14 NT$792

-8.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 NT$1,254

$38.16 NT$1,202

4.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 NT$486

$11.48 NT$362

34.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NT$376

$10.07 NT$317

18.47%

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

$269 NT$8,479

$431 NT$13.6K

-37.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,829 NT$215.1K

$11.4K NT$358.6K

-40.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,874

$94.9 NT$2,989

-37.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.34 NT$956

$35.33 NT$1,113

-14.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 NT$2,905

$91.4 NT$2,880

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NT$3,848

$101 NT$3,173

21.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 NT$10.3K

$432 NT$13.6K

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 NT$6,157

$282 NT$8,873

-30.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NT$21.5K

$940 NT$29.6K

-27.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 NT$22.4K

$681 NT$21.4K

4.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 NT$100.3K

$4,727 NT$148.9K

-32.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,153 NT$99.3K

$3,275 NT$103.2K

-3.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,368 NT$43.1K

$1,509 NT$47.6K

-9.40%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Tainan and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 10% 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 $385, 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 ($1,074 vs $1,149 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 10% 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: $328 in Tainan versus $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $269 in Tainan versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,149 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 7% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.