Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Tainan: $1,068 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Tainan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,068

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tainan and in Seoul

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 Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,068 per month in Tainan vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Tainan $1,068
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,837 per month in Tainan vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Tainan $1,837
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $2,606 per month in Tainan vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Tainan $2,606
Seoul $3,931

Tainan is about 40% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Tainan sits 21% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 NT$121

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-57.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 NT$799

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-63.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 NT$155

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-36.47%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NT$106

$4.23 ₩5,624

-22.70%

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

$0.95 NT$30.66

$1.63 ₩2,167

-41.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$20.54

$0.74 ₩985

-14.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.6

$3.64 ₩4,843

-21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NT$113

$6.15 ₩8,175

-43.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$2.01 ₩2,679

53.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.5

$3.13 ₩4,164

-43.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NT$102

$4.32 ₩5,744

-27.08%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$3.61 ₩4,794

-23.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 NT$632

$17.83 ₩23.7K

9.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 NT$320

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-5.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 NT$682

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 NT$161

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-35.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$3.38 ₩4,499

-15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$5.81 ₩7,723

-48.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NT$145

$6.41 ₩8,520

-30.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.4

$3.75 ₩4,983

-29.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$73.6

$2.54 ₩3,375

-10.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$2.84 ₩3,782

-39.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.31

$1.11 ₩1,472

3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$124

$3.35 ₩4,455

13.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 NT$452

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-24.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$2.40 ₩3,185

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$3.37 ₩4,480

-35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.68

$1.14 ₩1,521

-46.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 NT$1,099

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-26.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 NT$82.2

$3.49 ₩4,643

-27.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.92

$0.63 ₩840

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 NT$186

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.90

$1.51 ₩2,005

-33.11%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

12.06%

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

$24.1K NT$780.6K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-14.67%

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

$87.2 NT$2,828

$218 ₩289.2K

-59.91%

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

$17.51 NT$568

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-50.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.30 NT$691

$21.29 ₩28.3K

0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 NT$1,480

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-21.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 ₩21.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$311

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-15.12%

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

$433 NT$14.1K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-77.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,413 NT$175.5K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-76.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 NT$2,050

$57.0 ₩75.8K

10.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 NT$1,271

$33.39 ₩44.4K

17.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,716

$71.5 ₩95.0K

17.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,353

$82.5 ₩109.7K

25.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 NT$9,624

$901 ₩1.2M

-67.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NT$6,470

$612 ₩813.5K

-67.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 NT$27.4K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-66.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NT$22.6K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-45.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 NT$133.7K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-85.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,022 NT$98.0K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-74.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,376 NT$44.6K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-62.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

4.08

-41.18%

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

Last update for Tainan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tainan

$393 36.9%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 21.2% $84

Accommodation & Living

Tainan

$200 18.7%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 207% $412

Clothing & Footwear

Tainan

$130 12.2%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 15.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tainan

$126 11.8%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 117% $148

Eating Out

Tainan

$111 10.4%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 65.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Tainan

$65 6.1%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 24.4% $16

Getting Around

Tainan

$43 4%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 34.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Tainan versus $901 in Seoul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 165% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Tainan versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $477 – making Tainan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Tainan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

1 h ahead of Tainan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,886,033

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tainan Seoul 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tainan
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 68% more than Tainan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,602 per month in Tainan and $2,692 in Seoul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tainan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 36% less in Tainan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $433 per month in Tainan and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tainan, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Tainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tainan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tainan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.