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: $1,371 in Taipei versus $1,067 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Taipei versus $1,822 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,104 in Taipei versus $2,578 in Hua-lien.

Living in Taipei is roughly 28% more expensive than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 0% above, Hua-lien is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 NT$147

$4.12 NT$131

12.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.10 NT$1,526

$27.83 NT$883

72.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 NT$186

$4.21 NT$133

39.43%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NT$109

$2.74 NT$87.1

25.55%

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

$0.92 NT$29.21

$0.82 NT$26.15

12.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.00

$0.52 NT$16.36

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 NT$87.6

$1.28 NT$40.47

115.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 NT$119

$1.76 NT$55.8

112.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 NT$96.5

$2.82 NT$89.4

7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$62.4

$1.71 NT$54.3

15.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.1

$4.53 NT$144

-33.11%

Eggs

$2.77 NT$88.0

$1.97 NT$62.5

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$631

$19.03 NT$604

4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 NT$316

$6.16 NT$196

61.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.25 NT$674

$25.32 NT$803

-16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 NT$160

$2.65 NT$84.2

90.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.36 NT$107

$2.56 NT$81.1

31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NT$99.0

$3.38 NT$107

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 NT$142

$3.16 NT$100

41.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.9

$2.41 NT$76.5

16.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 NT$73.6

$2.41 NT$76.5

-3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$54.4

$2.08 NT$65.9

-17.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.37

$0.95 NT$30.20

24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 NT$124

$3.83 NT$121

1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 NT$458

$12.32 NT$391

17.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$1.92 NT$60.8

-13.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NT$73.2

$2.39 NT$75.7

-3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 NT$22.01

$0.66 NT$20.96

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.23 NT$1,181

$35.66 NT$1,131

4.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$85.5

$3.21 NT$102

-15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$23.87

$0.32 NT$10.20

134.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 NT$302

$10.34 NT$328

-8.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.15

$0.88 NT$28.03

14.77%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

1.96%

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

$24.1K NT$764.8K

$26.6K NT$843.2K

-9.30%

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

$85.7 NT$2,719

$101 NT$3,188

-14.74%

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

$18.27 NT$580

$19.42 NT$616

-5.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 NT$885

$12.51 NT$397

122.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.07 NT$1,303

$37.12 NT$1,178

10.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 NT$506

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 NT$307

$10.15 NT$322

-4.83%

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

$633 NT$20.1K

$763 NT$24.2K

-17.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$535.1K

$16.4K NT$521.7K

2.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 NT$1,958

$57.9 NT$1,837

6.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 NT$1,284

$35.49 NT$1,126

14.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 NT$2,659

$79.3 NT$2,517

5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NT$3,402

$108 NT$3,416

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 NT$27.5K

$394 NT$12.5K

119.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 NT$15.7K

$249 NT$7,884

98.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 NT$49.9K

$957 NT$30.4K

64.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 NT$30.3K

$737 NT$23.4K

29.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$401.6K

$7,381 NT$234.2K

71.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,665 NT$243.2K

$4,947 NT$156.9K

54.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 NT$54.4K

$2,874 NT$91.2K

-40.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.13

12.68%

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

Last update for Taipei: August 31, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $866 in Taipei and $394 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Taipei vs $28.00 in Hua-lien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $364 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 28% 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 68% 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: $866 in Taipei versus $394 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 $28.00 versus $48.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,067 in Hua-lien versus $1,371 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 28% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.