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: $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,494 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,873 in Tainan versus $2,394 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Tainan versus $3,295 in Taipei.

Living in Tainan costs roughly 28% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tainan is 20% below, Taipei is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 NT$193

$6.64 NT$209

-7.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 NT$840

$40.45 NT$1,273

-34.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 NT$161

$5.79 NT$182

-11.74%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NT$110

$3.75 NT$118

-6.67%

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

$1.12 NT$35.24

$1.13 NT$35.42

-0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.74

$0.72 NT$22.75

9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 NT$104

$3.31 NT$104

-0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$105

$3.30 NT$104

1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.2

$3.12 NT$98.2

0.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$60.4

$1.98 NT$62.3

-3.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$95.0

$3.07 NT$96.5

-1.63%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$89.7

$2.91 NT$91.7

-2.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.81 NT$624

$19.73 NT$621

0.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 NT$314

$9.90 NT$311

0.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.31 NT$639

$20.36 NT$641

-0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$136

$5.15 NT$162

-15.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.7

$2.92 NT$91.8

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$2.89 NT$90.8

-0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 NT$134

$4.26 NT$134

0.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$2.79 NT$88.0

2.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$2.19 NT$69.1

0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$52.8

$1.97 NT$62.1

-14.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NT$33.27

$1.39 NT$43.72

-23.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 NT$131

$4.00 NT$126

4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 NT$438

$14.48 NT$456

-3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NT$54.8

$1.75 NT$55.1

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.6

$2.42 NT$76.2

-0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$19.54

$0.89 NT$28.05

-30.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.71 NT$684

$41.16 NT$1,296

-47.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$88.9

$2.91 NT$91.6

-2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.61

$0.79 NT$24.94

-1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$326

$10.05 NT$316

3.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.05

$1.07 NT$33.63

-4.67%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$38.1K NT$1.2M

-1.17%

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

$26.5K NT$835.4K

$27.9K NT$877.6K

-4.81%

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

$86.7 NT$2,729

$84.9 NT$2,672

2.12%

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

$18.57 NT$585

$18.69 NT$588

-0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 NT$724

$24.75 NT$779

-7.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 NT$1,253

$42.03 NT$1,323

-5.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 NT$486

$14.06 NT$443

9.67%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NT$376

$11.84 NT$373

0.76%

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

$269 NT$8,471

$626 NT$19.7K

-57.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,829 NT$215.0K

$18.6K NT$586.5K

-63.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,872

$58.9 NT$1,855

0.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.34 NT$955

$34.01 NT$1,071

-10.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 NT$2,902

$95.1 NT$2,995

-3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NT$3,845

$124 NT$3,891

-1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 NT$10.3K

$789 NT$24.8K

-58.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 NT$6,152

$541 NT$17.0K

-63.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NT$21.5K

$1,667 NT$52.5K

-58.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 NT$22.4K

$1,113 NT$35.0K

-36.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 NT$100.2K

$13.7K NT$430.6K

-76.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,153 NT$99.3K

$8,450 NT$266.0K

-62.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,368 NT$43.0K

$1,713 NT$53.9K

-20.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

2.19

-16.44%

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

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $328 in Tainan and $789 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 25% 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 $40.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $401 per month, with Tainan cheaper across the board.

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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,074 vs $1,494 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Taipei earns 25% 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 $789 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 $27.00 versus $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,494 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 39% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.