Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Tainan: $1,068 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Tainan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,068

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tainan and in Taipei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,068 in Tainan versus $1,368 in Taipei.

Tainan $1,068
Taipei $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,837 in Tainan versus $2,202 in Taipei.

Tainan $1,837
Taipei $2,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,606 in Tainan versus $3,036 in Taipei.

Tainan $2,606
Taipei $3,036

Living in Tainan costs roughly 22% less than in Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 21% below, Taipei is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 NT$121

$4.60 NT$149

-18.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 NT$799

$47.13 NT$1,528

-47.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 NT$155

$5.58 NT$181

-14.16%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NT$106

$3.45 NT$112

-5.22%

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

$0.95 NT$30.66

$0.94 NT$30.61

1.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$20.54

$0.67 NT$21.73

-5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.6

$2.86 NT$92.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NT$113

$3.70 NT$120

-5.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$3.12 NT$101

-0.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.5

$1.97 NT$64.0

-10.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NT$102

$3.16 NT$103

-0.32%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$2.68 NT$86.9

2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 NT$632

$19.90 NT$645

-2.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 NT$320

$9.85 NT$319

0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 NT$682

$21.51 NT$698

-2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 NT$161

$4.85 NT$157

2.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$3.25 NT$105

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$3.03 NT$98.2

-0.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NT$145

$4.53 NT$147

-1.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.4

$2.79 NT$90.4

-4.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$73.6

$2.34 NT$75.9

-2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$1.68 NT$54.5

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.31

$1.10 NT$35.62

4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$124

$3.80 NT$123

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 NT$452

$14.17 NT$460

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$1.63 NT$53.0

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$2.29 NT$74.3

-5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.68

$0.65 NT$21.04

-6.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 NT$1,099

$37.88 NT$1,228

-10.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 NT$82.2

$2.68 NT$86.8

-5.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.92

$0.82 NT$26.55

-6.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 NT$186

$9.17 NT$297

-37.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.90

$1.02 NT$32.93

-0.98%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

-0.04%

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

$24.1K NT$780.6K

$24.5K NT$795.1K

-1.83%

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

$87.2 NT$2,828

$87.7 NT$2,843

-0.54%

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

$17.51 NT$568

$17.28 NT$560

1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.30 NT$691

$27.38 NT$888

-22.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 NT$1,480

$40.32 NT$1,308

13.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$311

$9.83 NT$319

-2.34%

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

$433 NT$14.1K

$663 NT$21.5K

-34.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,413 NT$175.5K

$16.6K NT$538.4K

-67.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 NT$2,050

$62.4 NT$2,025

1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 NT$1,271

$39.51 NT$1,281

-0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,716

$84.5 NT$2,740

-0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,353

$106 NT$3,424

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 NT$9,624

$999 NT$32.4K

-70.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NT$6,470

$473 NT$15.3K

-57.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 NT$27.4K

$1,565 NT$50.8K

-46.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NT$22.6K

$948 NT$30.7K

-26.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 NT$133.7K

$11.9K NT$385.6K

-65.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,022 NT$98.0K

$7,306 NT$236.9K

-58.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,376 NT$44.6K

$1,760 NT$57.1K

-21.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

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

Last update for Tainan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tainan

$393 36.9%

Taipei

$400 29.3% 1.8% $7

Accommodation & Living

Tainan

$200 18.7%

Taipei

$473 34.6% 137% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Tainan

$130 12.2%

Taipei

$131 9.6% 0.9% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tainan

$126 11.8%

Taipei

$132 9.7% 5% $6.3

Eating Out

Tainan

$111 10.4%

Taipei

$123 9% 10.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Tainan

$65 6.1%

Taipei

$60 4.4% 7.5% $4.9

Getting Around

Tainan

$43 4%

Taipei

$47 3.5% 10.7% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $297 in Tainan and $999 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 28% 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 $47.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $400 per month, with Tainan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Tainan

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Tainan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,886,033

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Tainan Taipei 270 km

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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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan and Taipei differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,068 vs $1,368 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Taipei. 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 $999 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tainan – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $47.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Tainan versus $1,368 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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 Taipei 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 28% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.