Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Chiayi

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiayi: $1,067 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Chiayi
Learn more

Chiayi Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Chiayi

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Chiayi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Taipei versus $1,067 in Chiayi.

Taipei $1,368
Chiayi $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,202 in Taipei versus $1,503 in Chiayi.

Taipei $2,202
Chiayi $1,503

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,036 in Taipei versus $1,940 in Chiayi.

Taipei $3,036
Chiayi $1,940

Living in Taipei is roughly 28% more expensive than in Chiayi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 1% above, Chiayi is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 NT$149

$4.83 NT$157

-4.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.13 NT$1,528

$46.84 NT$1,519

0.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 NT$181

$5.70 NT$185

-2.11%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NT$112

$3.36 NT$109

2.68%

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

$0.94 NT$30.61

$0.88 NT$28.58

6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.73

$0.67 NT$21.68

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$2.85 NT$92.4

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 NT$120

$3.80 NT$123

-2.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$101

$3.10 NT$101

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$64.0

$2.06 NT$66.8

-4.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NT$103

$3.04 NT$98.6

3.95%

Eggs

$2.68 NT$86.9

$2.66 NT$86.3

0.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$645

$19.77 NT$641

0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NT$319

$9.75 NT$316

1.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.51 NT$698

$20.98 NT$680

2.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 NT$157

$4.87 NT$158

-0.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 NT$105

$3.22 NT$104

0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.2

$2.99 NT$97.0

1.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 NT$147

$4.55 NT$148

-0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$2.80 NT$90.9

-0.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.9

$2.35 NT$76.3

-0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.5

$1.68 NT$54.3

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.62

$1.14 NT$37.04

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 NT$123

$4.01 NT$130

-5.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 NT$460

$4.66 NT$151

204.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$53.0

$1.65 NT$53.7

-1.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.3

$2.18 NT$70.8

5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$21.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.88 NT$1,228

$12.43 NT$403

204.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$2.64 NT$85.5

1.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.55

$0.46 NT$14.94

78.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 NT$297

$9.66 NT$313

-5.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.93

$1.06 NT$34.43

-3.77%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$32.9K NT$1.1M

-0.11%

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

$24.5K NT$795.1K

$24.5K NT$795.8K

-0.09%

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

$87.7 NT$2,843

$66.7 NT$2,164

31.38%

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

$17.28 NT$560

$17.52 NT$568

-1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 NT$888

$26.93 NT$873

1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 NT$1,308

$31.82 NT$1,032

26.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 NT$319

$9.84 NT$319

-0.10%

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

$663 NT$21.5K

$660 NT$21.4K

0.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$538.4K

$16.8K NT$543.4K

-0.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 NT$2,025

$62.3 NT$2,020

0.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 NT$1,281

$39.44 NT$1,279

0.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 NT$2,740

$85.2 NT$2,763

-0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,424

$104 NT$3,383

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 NT$32.4K

$369 NT$12.0K

170.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 NT$15.3K

$253 NT$8,194

87.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NT$50.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 NT$30.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K NT$385.6K

$3,179 NT$103.1K

273.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,306 NT$236.9K

$1,910 NT$61.9K

282.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 NT$57.1K

$2,110 NT$68.4K

-16.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

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

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$473 34.6%

Chiayi

$253 23.7% 46.6% $221

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$400 29.3%

Chiayi

$379 35.5% 5.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$132 9.7%

Chiayi

$111 10.4% 16% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$131 9.6%

Chiayi

$131 12.3% 0.3% $0.3

Eating Out

Taipei

$123 9%

Chiayi

$124 11.6% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Chiayi

$51 4.8% 14.2% $8.5

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Chiayi

$17 * 1.6% 63.2% $30

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 $999 in Taipei and $369 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Taipei vs $47.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $379, with Chiayi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇹🇼 Chiayi

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

Same time as Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

269,874

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Taipei Chiayi 210 km

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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 Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Chiayi. 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: $999 in Taipei versus $369 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Taipei versus $1,067 in Chiayi – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 205% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,067 in Chiayi versus $1,368 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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 Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.