Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Burnie

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,395 a month against $1,614 in Burnie, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Burnie
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Burnie Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Burnie

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Burnie

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Taipei versus $1,614 in Burnie.

Taipei $1,395
Burnie $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,227 in Taipei versus $2,472 in Burnie.

Taipei $2,227
Burnie $2,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Taipei versus $3,330 in Burnie.

Taipei $3,059
Burnie $3,330

Living in Taipei costs roughly 14% less than in Burnie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipei 4% above, Burnie 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 NT$152

$18.28 A$26.26

-73.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,538

$90.6 A$130

-46.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 NT$184

$5.42 A$7.78

6.09%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NT$112

$3.96 A$5.68

-11.87%

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

$0.88 NT$28.04

$3.52 A$5.05

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.62

$1.69 A$2.43

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$91.4

$4.17 A$5.99

-31.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NT$117

$5.97 A$8.57

-38.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.6

$1.84 A$2.64

67.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$65.5

$2.50 A$3.59

-18.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.6

$1.91 A$2.74

60.21%

Eggs

$2.70 NT$86.1

$4.88 A$7.00

-44.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 NT$628

$9.64 A$13.85

103.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NT$314

$6.16 A$8.84

59.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.11 NT$674

$17.17 A$24.66

22.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 NT$162

$2.80 A$4.03

81.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 NT$108

$2.80 A$4.02

21.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.9

$2.07 A$2.98

44.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NT$146

$2.75 A$3.95

65.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.8

$2.64 A$3.79

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.9

$2.11 A$3.03

8.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$53.7

$2.06 A$2.96

-18.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.82

$1.61 A$2.31

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

$35.56 A$51.1

-88.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 NT$457

$14.28 A$20.52

0.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$54.2

$3.46 A$4.97

-50.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

$5.55 A$7.97

-58.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.47

$1.88 A$2.70

-67.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 NT$1,228

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.0

$2.67 A$3.83

2.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.03

$2.13 A$3.05

-64.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 NT$306

$42.27 A$60.7

-77.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.57

$1.29 A$1.86

-20.93%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$26.4K A$38.0K

28.91%

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

$24.2K NT$772.3K

$31.4K A$45.0K

-22.87%

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

$86.4 NT$2,757

$212 A$304

-59.17%

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

$17.12 NT$547

$20.99 A$30.14

-18.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 NT$864

$48.19 A$69.2

-43.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 NT$1,302

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 NT$512

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$307

$14.01 A$20.13

-31.26%

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

$656 NT$20.9K

$2,000 A$2,873

-67.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$524.3K

$20.8K A$29.9K

-21.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$2,002

$78.7 A$113

-20.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 NT$1,261

$24.16 A$34.70

63.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,678

$107 A$153

-21.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,393

$92.8 A$133

14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 NT$32.4K

$799 A$1,148

27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 NT$15.3K

$575 A$826

-16.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NT$50.1K

$1,128 A$1,620

39.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 NT$30.4K

$838 A$1,203

13.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 NT$230.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,772 NT$56.6K

$5,051 A$7,256

-64.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

5.6

-57.14%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Burnie: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$479 34.8%

Burnie

$575 35.2% 20.2% $97

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$401 29.2%

Burnie

$331 20.2% 17.5% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$132 9.6%

Burnie

$136 8.3% 3.4% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$131 9.5%

Burnie

$281 17.2% 115% $150

Eating Out

Taipei

$125 9.1%

Burnie

$264 16.1% 111% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Burnie

$28 * 1.7% 53.3% $32

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Burnie

$21 * 1.3% 56.1% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Taipei and $799 in Burnie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnie pays 185% 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: $48.00 in Taipei vs $91.0 in Burnie. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $331, with Burnie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇦🇺 Burnie

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

19:40 7:40 PM

3 h ahead of Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

20,267

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.92 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.81 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taipei Burnie 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
Burnie

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 Burnie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 185% lower in Burnie. 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: $1,016 in Taipei versus $799 in Burnie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Burnie pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,395 per month in Taipei versus $1,614 in Burnie – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,395 in Taipei versus $1,614 in Burnie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Burnie. The gap between the two cities makes Taipei 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, Taipei and Burnie 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 Taipei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Burnie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.