Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Ballina

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,368 a month against $2,462 in Ballina, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Ballina

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taipei and in Ballina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Taipei vs $2,462 in Ballina, rent included.

Taipei $1,368
Ballina $2,462

A couple spends around $2,202 per month in Taipei vs $3,724 in Ballina, rent included.

Taipei $2,202
Ballina $3,724

A family of three spends $3,036 per month in Taipei vs $4,986 in Ballina, rent included.

Taipei $3,036
Ballina $4,986

Taipei is about 44% cheaper than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Taipei and Ballina sit above the global median – Taipei by 1%, Ballina by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 NT$149

$17.33 A$24.93

-73.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.13 NT$1,528

$82.9 A$119

-43.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 NT$181

$9.17 A$13.19

-39.15%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NT$112

$3.90 A$5.61

-11.54%

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

$0.94 NT$30.61

$2.84 A$4.08

-66.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.73

$2.27 A$3.27

-70.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$7.59 A$10.93

-62.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 NT$120

$7.44 A$10.71

-50.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$101

$2.66 A$3.82

17.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$64.0

$3.25 A$4.67

-39.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NT$103

$2.18 A$3.14

44.95%

Eggs

$2.68 NT$86.9

$5.69 A$8.18

-52.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$645

$6.36 A$9.15

212.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NT$319

$9.17 A$13.20

7.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.51 NT$698

$15.05 A$21.66

42.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 NT$157

$3.52 A$5.07

37.78%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 NT$105

$3.11 A$4.47

4.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.2

$3.19 A$4.59

-5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 NT$147

$3.49 A$5.02

29.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$2.69 A$3.87

3.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.9

$2.33 A$3.35

0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.5

$3.54 A$5.10

-52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.62

$1.53 A$2.20

-28.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 NT$123

$42.38 A$61.0

-91.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 NT$460

$13.97 A$20.10

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$53.0

$4.81 A$6.93

-66.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.3

$5.15 A$7.41

-55.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$21.04

$3.30 A$4.75

-80.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.88 NT$1,228

$92.7 A$133

-59.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$3.54 A$5.09

-24.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.55

$1.70 A$2.44

-51.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 NT$297

$39.11 A$56.3

-76.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.93

$1.25 A$1.80

-18.40%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$26.8K A$38.6K

22.40%

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

$24.5K NT$795.1K

$33.0K A$47.4K

-25.59%

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

$87.7 NT$2,843

$216 A$311

-59.39%

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

$17.28 NT$560

$31.56 A$45.42

-45.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 NT$888

$49.28 A$70.9

-44.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 NT$1,308

$61.1 A$88.0

-34.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

$17.31 A$24.91

-7.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 NT$319

$15.89 A$22.86

-38.14%

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

$663 NT$21.5K

$1,912 A$2,752

-65.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$538.4K

$22.5K A$32.4K

-26.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 NT$2,025

$80.3 A$116

-22.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 NT$1,281

$55.6 A$79.9

-28.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 NT$2,740

$102 A$147

-17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,424

$136 A$195

-22.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 NT$32.4K

$1,541 A$2,218

-35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 NT$15.3K

$1,126 A$1,620

-57.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NT$50.8K

$2,038 A$2,933

-23.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 NT$30.7K

$2,001 A$2,880

-52.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K NT$385.6K

$6,245 A$8,987

90.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,306 NT$236.9K

$4,569 A$6,575

59.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 NT$57.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

5.84

-58.90%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ballina: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$473 34.6%

Ballina

$1.1K 45.7% 138% $652

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$400 29.3%

Ballina

$375 15.2% 6.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$132 9.7%

Ballina

$297 12.1% 124% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$131 9.6%

Ballina

$168 6.8% 28% $37

Eating Out

Taipei

$123 9%

Ballina

$286 11.6% 133% $163

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Ballina

$93 3.8% 54.8% $33

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Ballina

$118 4.8% 150% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $999 in Taipei versus $1,541 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Taipei versus $83.0 in Ballina. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Taipei vs $375 in Ballina – so Ballina wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇦🇺 Ballina

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

3 h ahead of Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

8,911

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taipei Ballina 6,900 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
Ballina

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

Taipei vs Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ballina is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,052 per month in Taipei and $3,693 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $663 per month in Taipei and $1,912 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Ballina – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taipei, where all-in costs run around $1,368, than in Ballina at $2,462. In Taipei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ballina it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taipei – 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 Taipei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ballina makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.