Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Chalcis Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Chalcis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,497 in Taipei versus $1,498 in Chalcis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,340 in Taipei versus $2,210 in Chalcis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Taipei versus $2,921 in Chalcis.

Monthly costs are close between Taipei and Chalcis; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipei 11% above, Chalcis 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 NT$216

$13.18 €11.36

-48.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 NT$1,261

$49.31 €42.48

-19.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 NT$182

$9.50 €8.18

-39.58%

Cappuccino

$3.82 NT$121

$4.25 €3.66

-10.12%

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

$1.18 NT$37.35

$1.70 €1.46

-30.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.45

$0.57 €0.49

29.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 NT$109

$3.43 €2.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$106

$3.99 €3.43

-16.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.7

$1.53 €1.32

105.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$59.8

$1.56 €1.34

21.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 NT$99.1

$1.99 €1.71

57.79%

Eggs

$2.83 NT$89.4

$4.20 €3.62

-32.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.13 NT$636

$13.55 €11.67

48.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$313

$9.93 €8.56

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.51 NT$649

$13.22 €11.39

55.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 NT$167

$2.06 €1.77

157.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NT$93.4

$1.95 €1.68

51.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 NT$88.8

$1.12 €0.96

150.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 NT$133

$1.93 €1.66

117.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$91.9

$1.08 €0.93

169.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NT$70.0

$1.23 €1.06

80.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.2

$1.04 €0.89

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$41.82

$0.49 €0.42

169.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$125

$5.06 €4.36

-21.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 NT$451

$6.52 €5.62

118.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NT$55.7

$1.67 €1.44

5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.8

$2.36 €2.04

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$26.53

$1.38 €1.19

-39.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.75 NT$1,288

$46.16 €39.77

-11.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 NT$92.6

$4.65 €4.01

-36.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.28

$1.07 €0.92

-30.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 NT$325

$13.49 €11.62

-23.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.25

$2.19 €1.89

-53.42%

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

$37.5K NT$1.2M

$34.7K €29.9K

8.03%

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

$27.1K NT$855.9K

$29.4K €25.4K

-8.04%

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

$83.9 NT$2,653

$295 €254

-71.51%

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

$18.55 NT$587

$24.01 €20.69

-22.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.94 NT$788

$31.67 €27.29

-21.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 NT$1,310

$70.8 €61.0

-41.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.55 NT$428

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 NT$376

$9.88 €8.51

20.34%

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

$624 NT$19.7K

$293 €252

113.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K NT$591.8K

$5,577 €4,805

235.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 NT$1,884

$112 €96.2

-46.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.93 NT$1,073

$39.35 €33.90

-13.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NT$2,975

$100 €86.3

-6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NT$3,941

$95.8 €82.5

30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 NT$24.7K

$527 €454

48.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 NT$17.5K

$383 €330

44.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 NT$53.1K

$797 €687

110.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 NT$34.4K

$592 €510

83.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$431.7K

$2,555 €2,202

434.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,549 NT$270.3K

$2,036 €1,754

319.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,788 NT$56.5K

$1,055 €909

69.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

4.34

-49.54%

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

Last update for Taipei: June 7, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Taipei and $527 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $40.00 in Taipei vs $49.00 in Chalcis. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $264, with Chalcis 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

Taipei vs Chalcis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei pays 69% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $782 in Taipei versus $527 in Chalcis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taipei runs roughly 13% less than in Chalcis. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Chalcis pay roughly 52% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,497 in Taipei versus $1,498 in Chalcis, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Chalcis. 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 Chalcis are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Taipei wins on affordability, Chalcis on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.