Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,497 in Taipei versus $1,120 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,333 in Taipei versus $1,858 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,168 in Taipei versus $2,597 in Hua-lien.

Living in Taipei is roughly 34% more expensive than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 12% above, Hua-lien is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.62 NT$214

$4.16 NT$134

59.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.86 NT$1,288

$33.92 NT$1,096

17.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 NT$181

$4.68 NT$151

19.44%

Cappuccino

$3.93 NT$127

$3.55 NT$115

10.70%

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

$1.16 NT$37.64

$0.97 NT$31.42

19.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.22

$0.64 NT$20.71

17.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 NT$111

$1.28 NT$41.33

169.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$112

$1.97 NT$63.6

75.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$102

$3.26 NT$105

-3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.83 NT$59.1

2.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.0

$4.53 NT$146

-33.11%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$92.0

$2.54 NT$82.0

12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.35 NT$658

$14.05 NT$454

44.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 NT$327

$4.72 NT$153

114.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.00 NT$646

$15.79 NT$510

26.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 NT$163

$4.45 NT$144

13.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.7

$2.44 NT$78.8

17.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$93.8

$4.29 NT$139

-32.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 NT$135

$3.92 NT$127

6.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.5

$4.59 NT$148

-37.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$4.16 NT$135

-46.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$62.9

$2.63 NT$84.9

-25.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NT$42.46

$1.33 NT$42.82

-1.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 NT$134

$4.93 NT$159

-16.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 NT$447

$14.15 NT$457

-2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 NT$58.3

$2.25 NT$72.8

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$76.5

$2.88 NT$93.2

-17.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 NT$27.79

$0.84 NT$27.01

2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.26 NT$1,333

$39.30 NT$1,270

4.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$95.1

$3.42 NT$111

-14.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.92

$0.79 NT$25.64

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$333

$12.61 NT$407

-18.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.47

$1.06 NT$34.35

-1.89%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$42.3K NT$1.4M

-8.56%

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

$27.6K NT$892.5K

$28.7K NT$927.3K

-3.76%

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

$86.2 NT$2,784

$76.1 NT$2,458

13.29%

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

$18.64 NT$602

$33.70 NT$1,089

-44.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.48 NT$791

$25.26 NT$816

-3.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 NT$1,342

$37.01 NT$1,196

12.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.88 NT$448

$15.46 NT$500

-10.22%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 NT$378

$9.06 NT$293

29.25%

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

$643 NT$20.8K

$787 NT$25.4K

-18.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$609.1K

$15.7K NT$506.1K

20.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,923

$26.95 NT$871

120.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 NT$1,079

$47.29 NT$1,528

-29.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NT$3,002

$70.4 NT$2,275

31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NT$3,920

$127 NT$4,089

-4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 NT$25.7K

$437 NT$14.1K

82.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 NT$17.4K

$283 NT$9,159

90.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 NT$53.3K

$1,023 NT$33.0K

61.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NT$34.9K

$728 NT$23.5K

48.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K NT$414.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,600 NT$245.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 NT$55.4K

$2,897 NT$93.6K

-40.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

1.57

39.49%

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

Last update for Taipei: July 12, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $795 in Taipei and $437 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 69% 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 $34.00 in Hua-lien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $360 per month, with Hua-lien cheaper across the board.

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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 69% lower in Hua-lien. 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: $795 in Taipei versus $437 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,120 in Hua-lien versus $1,497 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.