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: $1,494 in Taipei versus $1,108 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,394 in Taipei versus $1,874 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Taipei versus $2,641 in Hua-lien.

Living in Taipei is roughly 35% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 11% above, Hua-lien is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 NT$209

$4.05 NT$127

63.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.45 NT$1,273

$33.61 NT$1,058

20.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 NT$182

$4.51 NT$142

28.38%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NT$118

$3.40 NT$107

10.29%

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

$1.13 NT$35.42

$0.97 NT$30.47

16.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.75

$0.64 NT$20.19

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 NT$104

$1.31 NT$41.28

152.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$104

$2.02 NT$63.5

63.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$98.2

$3.26 NT$102

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.79 NT$56.2

10.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.5

$4.36 NT$137

-29.59%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$91.7

$2.53 NT$79.5

15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.73 NT$621

$13.93 NT$439

41.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$311

$4.77 NT$150

107.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 NT$641

$16.15 NT$508

26.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 NT$162

$4.38 NT$138

17.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$91.8

$2.49 NT$78.5

17.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$90.8

$4.16 NT$131

-30.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$134

$3.87 NT$122

10.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$4.59 NT$145

-39.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.1

$4.03 NT$127

-45.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.56 NT$80.6

-23.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.72

$1.35 NT$42.43

2.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$5.10 NT$160

-21.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 NT$456

$14.09 NT$443

2.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.1

$2.13 NT$67.1

-17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.78 NT$87.4

-12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.05

$0.83 NT$26.25

7.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,296

$38.74 NT$1,220

6.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.6

$3.35 NT$106

-13.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$24.94

$0.72 NT$22.75

9.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NT$316

$12.74 NT$401

-21.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.63

$1.02 NT$32.11

4.90%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$41.5K NT$1.3M

-8.06%

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

$27.9K NT$877.6K

$29.6K NT$931.0K

-5.73%

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

$84.9 NT$2,672

$74.7 NT$2,352

13.61%

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

$18.69 NT$588

$33.24 NT$1,046

-43.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$779

$25.19 NT$793

-1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 NT$1,323

$37.04 NT$1,166

13.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 NT$443

$15.45 NT$486

-9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 NT$373

$9.02 NT$284

31.26%

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

$626 NT$19.7K

$779 NT$24.5K

-19.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K NT$586.5K

$15.5K NT$489.3K

19.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 NT$1,855

$27.58 NT$868

113.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,071

$46.63 NT$1,468

-27.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 NT$2,995

$70.3 NT$2,214

35.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,891

$124 NT$3,908

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 NT$24.8K

$439 NT$13.8K

79.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 NT$17.0K

$283 NT$8,904

91.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NT$52.5K

$1,021 NT$32.1K

63.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 NT$35.0K

$741 NT$23.3K

50.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$430.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 NT$53.9K

$2,890 NT$91.0K

-40.73%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Taipei and $439 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 $401 vs $358 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 35% 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, Hua-lien earns 69% 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 $439 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% 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 $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $1,494 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 35% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.