Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Chiayi Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Chiayi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Taipei versus $1,169 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,394 in Taipei versus $1,949 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Taipei versus $2,730 in Chiayi.

Living in Taipei is roughly 28% more expensive than Chiayi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 11% above, Chiayi is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 NT$209

$6.86 NT$216

-3.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.45 NT$1,273

$40.64 NT$1,279

-0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 NT$182

$5.63 NT$177

2.84%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NT$118

$2.18 NT$68.5

72.02%

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

$1.13 NT$35.42

$1.16 NT$36.66

-2.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.75

$0.74 NT$23.31

-2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 NT$104

$1.85 NT$58.1

78.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$104

$3.10 NT$97.6

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$98.2

$3.16 NT$99.5

-1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.88 NT$59.2

5.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.5

$3.06 NT$96.2

0.33%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$91.7

$2.84 NT$89.5

2.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.73 NT$621

$19.79 NT$623

-0.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$311

$10.05 NT$316

-1.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 NT$641

$20.14 NT$634

1.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 NT$162

$5.05 NT$159

1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$91.8

$2.98 NT$93.8

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$90.8

$2.89 NT$91.0

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$134

$4.13 NT$130

3.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$2.83 NT$89.0

-1.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.1

$2.25 NT$70.7

-2.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$1.95 NT$61.4

1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.72

$1.39 NT$43.70

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$4.03 NT$127

-0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 NT$456

$4.76 NT$150

204.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.1

$1.76 NT$55.4

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.40 NT$75.4

0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.05

$0.87 NT$27.43

2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,296

$38.39 NT$1,208

7.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.6

$2.90 NT$91.3

0.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$24.94

$0.41 NT$12.92

92.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NT$316

$9.97 NT$314

0.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.63

$0.99 NT$31.21

8.08%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$38.8K NT$1.2M

-1.78%

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

$27.9K NT$877.6K

$27.9K NT$878.1K

-0.05%

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

$84.9 NT$2,672

$72.9 NT$2,294

16.51%

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

$18.69 NT$588

$18.60 NT$585

0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$779

$25.38 NT$799

-2.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 NT$1,323

$36.80 NT$1,159

14.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 NT$443

$15.14 NT$476

-7.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 NT$373

$11.77 NT$370

0.59%

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

$626 NT$19.7K

$641 NT$20.2K

-2.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K NT$586.5K

$19.1K NT$601.0K

-2.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 NT$1,855

$59.6 NT$1,875

-1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,071

$33.07 NT$1,041

2.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 NT$2,995

$92.0 NT$2,896

3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,891

$124 NT$3,917

-0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 NT$24.8K

$437 NT$13.8K

80.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 NT$17.0K

$292 NT$9,199

85.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NT$52.5K

$1,035 NT$32.6K

61.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 NT$35.0K

$722 NT$22.7K

54.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$430.6K

$8,190 NT$257.8K

67.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.0K

$4,884 NT$153.7K

73.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 NT$53.9K

$2,172 NT$68.4K

-21.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

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

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Taipei and $437 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Taipei vs $41.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $380, with Chiayi 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 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, Chiayi earns 27% less. 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: $789 in Taipei versus $437 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,494 per month in Taipei versus $1,169 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 7% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,169 in Chiayi versus $1,494 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.