Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Blacktown

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,368 a month against $2,495 in Blacktown, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Taipei
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$1,368
/mo nomad
Blacktown
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,495
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Blacktown

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Taipei versus $2,495 in Blacktown.

  • Taipei $1,368
  • Blacktown $2,495

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,202 in Taipei versus $3,772 in Blacktown.

  • Taipei $2,202
  • Blacktown $3,772

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,036 in Taipei versus $5,049 in Blacktown.

  • Taipei $3,036
  • Blacktown $5,049

Living in Taipei costs roughly 45% less than in Blacktown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipei 1% above, Blacktown 85% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.60 NT$149
$21.10 A$30.36
-78.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.13 NT$1,528
$88.0 A$127
-46.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.58 NT$181
$10.56 A$15.19
-47.16%
Cappuccino
$3.45 NT$112
$4.19 A$6.03
-17.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 NT$30.61
$3.02 A$4.35
-68.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 NT$21.73
$2.48 A$3.57
-72.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.86 NT$92.7
$8.12 A$11.68
-64.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 NT$120
$9.63 A$13.86
-61.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.12 NT$101
$1.56 A$2.24
100.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.97 NT$64.0
$3.21 A$4.62
-38.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.16 NT$103
$2.53 A$3.64
24.90%
Eggs
$2.68 NT$86.9
$5.28 A$7.60
-49.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.90 NT$645
$13.20 A$18.99
50.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.85 NT$319
$9.98 A$14.37
-1.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.51 NT$698
$15.45 A$22.23
39.22%
Apples (1kg)
$4.85 NT$157
$4.05 A$5.83
19.75%
Banana (1kg)
$3.25 NT$105
$3.22 A$4.63
0.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.03 NT$98.2
$3.59 A$5.17
-15.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.53 NT$147
$5.14 A$7.39
-11.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 NT$90.4
$3.07 A$4.42
-9.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 NT$75.9
$2.72 A$3.92
-13.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.68 NT$54.5
$2.46 A$3.54
-31.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 NT$35.62
$1.39 A$2.00
-20.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.80 NT$123
$45.16 A$65.0
-91.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.17 NT$460
$13.76 A$19.80
2.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 NT$53.0
$4.72 A$6.79
-65.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 NT$74.3
$5.66 A$8.14
-59.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.65 NT$21.04
$2.97 A$4.27
-78.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.88 NT$1,228
$69.8 A$100
-45.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 NT$86.8
$3.97 A$5.71
-32.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 NT$26.55
$1.58 A$2.27
-48.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.17 NT$297
$43.07 A$62.0
-78.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 NT$32.93
$1.33 A$1.91
-23.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K NT$1.1M
$27.3K A$39.3K
20.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K NT$795.1K
$29.7K A$42.8K
-17.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.7 NT$2,843
$182 A$262
-51.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.28 NT$560
$26.93 A$38.75
-35.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.38 NT$888
$56.5 A$81.3
-51.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.32 NT$1,308
$55.1 A$79.2
-26.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.94 NT$517
$17.15 A$24.67
-7.06%
Cinema Ticket
$9.83 NT$319
$15.45 A$22.24
-36.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$663 NT$21.5K
$2,320 A$3,338
-71.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K NT$538.4K
$20.6K A$29.7K
-19.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 NT$2,025
$75.0 A$108
-16.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.51 NT$1,281
$55.0 A$79.2
-28.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.5 NT$2,740
$108 A$156
-21.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 NT$3,424
$131 A$188
-19.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$999 NT$32.4K
$1,439 A$2,070
-30.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$473 NT$15.3K
$1,154 A$1,660
-58.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,565 NT$50.8K
$2,029 A$2,920
-22.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 NT$30.7K
$1,987 A$2,860
-52.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$11.9K NT$385.6K
$5,902 A$8,492
101.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,306 NT$236.9K
$4,575 A$6,583
59.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taipei
Blacktown
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,760 NT$57.1K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.4
5.95
-59.66%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Last update for Blacktown: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Taipei
$473
Blacktown
$1.2K 144% $681
Groceries & Markets
Taipei
$400
Blacktown
$398 0.6% $2.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taipei
$132
Blacktown
$265 101% $133
Clothing & Footwear
Taipei
$131
Blacktown
$166 26.2% $34
Eating Out
Taipei
$123
Blacktown
$333 170% $210
Sport & Entertainment
Taipei
$60
Blacktown
$86 43.3% $26
Getting Around
Taipei
$47
Blacktown
$94 98% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $999 in Taipei and $1,439 in Blacktown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Taipei vs $88.0 in Blacktown. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $398, with Blacktown cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇼 Taipei
🇦🇺 Blacktown
🕒 Local time
01:23 1:23 AM
04:23 4:23 AM
3 h ahead of Taipei
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,635,286 Capital
46,942
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Taipei Blacktown 7,230 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Taipei
  • Blacktown

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 Blacktown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blacktown cheaper than Taipei?
Taipei is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,052 in Taipei and $3,743 in Blacktown to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Taipei and Blacktown?
Rent for a central apartment: $999 in Taipei versus $1,439 in Blacktown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Taipei runs roughly 84% less than in Blacktown. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $663 in Taipei versus $2,320 in Blacktown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Taipei or in Blacktown?
At $1,368 in Taipei versus $2,495 in Blacktown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Blacktown. The gap between the two cities makes Taipei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Taipei or in Blacktown?
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.
Which city is safer, Taipei or Blacktown?
Safety-wise, Taipei and Blacktown are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Taipei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Blacktown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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