Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Geelong

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,368 a month against $2,602 in Geelong, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Taipei
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$1,368
/mo nomad
Geelong
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,602
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Geelong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Taipei versus $2,602 in Geelong.

  • Taipei $1,368
  • Geelong $2,602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,202 in Taipei versus $3,495 in Geelong.

  • Taipei $2,202
  • Geelong $3,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,036 in Taipei versus $4,387 in Geelong.

  • Taipei $3,036
  • Geelong $4,387

Living in Taipei costs roughly 47% less than in Geelong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipei 1% above, Geelong 93% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.60 NT$148
$17.56 A$25.16
-73.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.13 NT$1,515
$82.2 A$118
-42.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.58 NT$179
$10.29 A$14.73
-45.77%
Cappuccino
$3.45 NT$111
$3.80 A$5.45
-9.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 NT$30.34
$2.80 A$4.02
-66.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 NT$21.55
$2.16 A$3.09
-68.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.86 NT$91.9
$6.53 A$9.35
-56.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 NT$119
$7.85 A$11.25
-52.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.12 NT$100
$1.55 A$2.22
101.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.97 NT$63.5
$2.54 A$3.63
-22.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.16 NT$102
$1.87 A$2.68
68.98%
Eggs
$2.68 NT$86.1
$4.27 A$6.11
-37.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.90 NT$640
$7.75 A$11.10
156.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.85 NT$317
$9.66 A$13.83
1.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.51 NT$692
$15.35 A$21.98
40.13%
Apples (1kg)
$4.85 NT$156
$4.12 A$5.90
17.72%
Banana (1kg)
$3.25 NT$104
$2.92 A$4.19
11.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.03 NT$97.4
$2.90 A$4.16
4.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.53 NT$146
$3.23 A$4.63
40.25%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 NT$89.6
$3.06 A$4.38
-8.82%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 NT$75.2
$2.17 A$3.11
7.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.68 NT$54.1
$2.07 A$2.97
-18.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 NT$35.31
$1.55 A$2.23
-29.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.80 NT$122
$45.24 A$64.8
-91.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.17 NT$456
$12.64 A$18.11
12.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 NT$52.5
$3.78 A$5.42
-56.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 NT$73.7
$2.96 A$4.25
-22.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.65 NT$20.86
$7.45 A$10.68
-91.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.88 NT$1,218
$128 A$183
-70.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.68 NT$86.1
$4.45 A$6.38
-39.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 NT$26.32
$1.36 A$1.95
-39.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.17 NT$295
$29.97 A$42.93
-69.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 NT$32.65
$1.29 A$1.85
-20.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K NT$1.1M
$28.0K A$40.1K
17.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K NT$788.3K
$26.3K A$37.7K
-6.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.7 NT$2,819
$155 A$221
-43.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.28 NT$556
$25.90 A$37.11
-33.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.38 NT$880
$56.5 A$81.0
-51.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.32 NT$1,296
$55.7 A$79.8
-27.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.94 NT$512
$15.25 A$21.85
4.52%
Cinema Ticket
$9.83 NT$316
$12.72 A$18.22
-22.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$663 NT$21.3K
$2,138 A$3,063
-69.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K NT$533.8K
$29.6K A$42.4K
-43.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 NT$2,007
$79.5 A$114
-21.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.51 NT$1,270
$48.93 A$70.1
-19.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.5 NT$2,716
$94.0 A$135
-10.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 NT$3,394
$105 A$150
0.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$999 NT$32.1K
$1,264 A$1,810
-20.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$473 NT$15.2K
$1,343 A$1,924
-64.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,565 NT$50.3K
$1,717 A$2,460
-8.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$948 NT$30.5K
$1,506 A$2,157
-37.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$11.9K NT$382.3K
$6,557 A$9,393
81.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,306 NT$234.9K
$5,281 A$7,566
38.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taipei
Geelong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,760 NT$56.6K
$3,086 A$4,421
-42.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.4
5.9
-59.32%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Last update for Geelong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Taipei
$473
Geelong
$1.3K 184% $870
Groceries & Markets
Taipei
$400
Geelong
$340 15.2% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taipei
$132
Geelong
$237 79.1% $105
Clothing & Footwear
Taipei
$131
Geelong
$147 12% $16
Eating Out
Taipei
$123
Geelong
$285 132% $162
Sport & Entertainment
Taipei
$60
Geelong
$81 35.2% $21
Getting Around
Taipei
$47
Geelong
$169 258% $122

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $999 in Taipei and $1,264 in Geelong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Geelong pays 75% 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: $47.00 in Taipei vs $82.0 in Geelong. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $340, with Geelong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇼 Taipei
🇦🇺 Geelong
🕒 Local time
07:24 7:24 AM
10:24 10:24 AM
3 h ahead of Taipei
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,635,286 Capital
180,239
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 32.15 TWD (100 TWD = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 35.98 TWD (100 TWD = 2.78 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Taipei Geelong 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Taipei
  • Geelong

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 Geelong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Taipei and in Geelong?
Taipei and Geelong differ by about 90% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $2,602 including rent). Taipei is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Geelong. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Taipei and in Geelong?
Rent for a central apartment: $999 in Taipei versus $1,264 in Geelong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Taipei or Geelong?
All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Taipei versus $2,602 in Geelong – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Taipei and in Geelong?
A monthly transit pass in Taipei runs roughly 238% less than in Geelong. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,368 in Taipei versus $2,602 in Geelong, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Geelong. The gap between the two cities makes Taipei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Taipei and Geelong?
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.
Is Taipei or Geelong safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Taipei and Geelong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Taipei or Geelong?
Expats usually find Taipei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Geelong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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