Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,197 in Tainan versus $1,371 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,035 in Tainan versus $2,237 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,873 in Tainan versus $3,104 in Taipei.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 13% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 13% below, Taipei is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 NT$154

$4.62 NT$147

4.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.87 NT$789

$48.10 NT$1,526

-48.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 NT$149

$5.87 NT$186

-19.93%

Cappuccino

$3.33 NT$106

$3.44 NT$109

-3.20%

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

$1.36 NT$43.21

$0.92 NT$29.21

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$28.83

$0.66 NT$21.00

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 NT$99.8

$2.76 NT$87.6

14.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 NT$109

$3.74 NT$119

-8.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 NT$97.2

$3.04 NT$96.5

0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 NT$56.5

$1.97 NT$62.4

-9.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 NT$94.0

$3.03 NT$96.1

-2.31%

Eggs

$3.07 NT$97.4

$2.77 NT$88.0

10.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.47 NT$713

$19.90 NT$631

12.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 NT$421

$9.95 NT$316

33.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.40 NT$679

$21.25 NT$674

0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.44 NT$173

$5.04 NT$160

7.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 NT$91.5

$3.36 NT$107

-13.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 NT$155

$3.12 NT$99.0

56.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.20 NT$229

$4.46 NT$142

61.43%

Potato (1kg)

$4.66 NT$148

$2.80 NT$88.9

66.43%

Onion (1kg)

$4.40 NT$139

$2.32 NT$73.6

89.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 NT$91.7

$1.71 NT$54.4

69.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 NT$45.64

$1.18 NT$37.37

22.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$129

$3.90 NT$124

4.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 NT$378

$14.43 NT$458

-17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 NT$64.5

$1.67 NT$52.8

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$71.2

$2.31 NT$73.2

-2.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.70

$0.69 NT$22.01

-5.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.59 NT$1,066

$37.23 NT$1,181

-9.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NT$87.5

$2.70 NT$85.5

2.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$30.87

$0.75 NT$23.87

29.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 NT$175

$9.50 NT$302

-42.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.35

$1.01 NT$32.15

0.99%

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

$36.9K NT$1.2M

$33.8K NT$1.1M

9.27%

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

$25.0K NT$793.7K

$24.1K NT$764.8K

3.77%

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

$90.2 NT$2,860

$85.7 NT$2,719

5.22%

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

$17.57 NT$557

$18.27 NT$580

-3.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 NT$695

$27.88 NT$885

-21.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.00 NT$1,459

$41.07 NT$1,303

12.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 NT$506

Cinema Ticket

$11.03 NT$350

$9.66 NT$307

14.18%

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

$425 NT$13.5K

$633 NT$20.1K

-32.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,560 NT$176.4K

$16.9K NT$535.1K

-67.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 NT$2,993

$61.7 NT$1,958

52.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 NT$1,470

$40.47 NT$1,284

14.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NT$3,780

$83.8 NT$2,659

42.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,920

$107 NT$3,402

15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 NT$9,853

$866 NT$27.5K

-64.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 NT$6,150

$494 NT$15.7K

-60.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 NT$26.8K

$1,572 NT$49.9K

-46.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 NT$22.9K

$955 NT$30.3K

-24.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,189 NT$132.9K

$12.7K NT$401.6K

-66.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 NT$99.3K

$7,665 NT$243.2K

-59.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,366 NT$43.3K

$1,716 NT$54.4K

-20.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.5

2.4

4.17%

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

Last update for Tainan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Taipei: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $311 in Tainan and $866 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 26% 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 $48.00 in Taipei. Groceries flip the comparison at $461 vs $402, with Taipei 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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tainan and Taipei differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,197 vs $1,371 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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: $311 in Tainan versus $866 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Taipei pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tainan – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $48.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,197 in Tainan versus $1,371 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 15% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.