Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Taipei versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,394 in Taipei versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Taipei versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taipei is roughly 30% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 11% above, Kaohsiung is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 NT$209

$4.03 NT$127

64.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.45 NT$1,274

$33.84 NT$1,066

19.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 NT$183

$5.54 NT$174

4.51%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NT$118

$3.08 NT$96.9

21.75%

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

$1.13 NT$35.45

$1.02 NT$32.04

10.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.77

$0.78 NT$24.42

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 NT$104

$1.72 NT$54.1

92.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$104

$2.77 NT$87.2

19.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$98.3

$3.62 NT$114

-13.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.4

$2.05 NT$64.6

-3.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.6

$2.76 NT$86.9

11.23%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$91.8

$3.21 NT$101

-9.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.73 NT$621

$15.85 NT$499

24.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$312

$9.05 NT$285

9.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 NT$641

$17.92 NT$565

13.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 NT$162

$6.00 NT$189

-14.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$91.9

$2.58 NT$81.3

13.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$90.9

$2.77 NT$87.1

4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$134

$4.15 NT$131

2.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$2.99 NT$94.1

-6.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.1

$2.21 NT$69.7

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$1.94 NT$61.2

1.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.76

$1.16 NT$36.47

19.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$4.34 NT$137

-7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 NT$456

$15.85 NT$499

-8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.2

$1.73 NT$54.6

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.54 NT$80.0

-4.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.07

$0.82 NT$25.72

8.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,297

$26.88 NT$847

53.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.7

$2.95 NT$93.0

-1.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$24.96

$0.73 NT$22.99

8.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NT$316

$5.98 NT$188

68.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.66

$1.04 NT$32.76

2.88%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

12.60%

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

$27.9K NT$878.3K

$25.1K NT$791.6K

10.96%

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

$84.9 NT$2,674

$104 NT$3,267

-18.15%

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

$18.69 NT$589

$25.58 NT$806

-26.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$780

$25.14 NT$792

-1.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 NT$1,324

$38.16 NT$1,202

10.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 NT$443

$11.48 NT$362

22.47%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 NT$373

$10.07 NT$317

17.58%

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

$626 NT$19.7K

$431 NT$13.6K

45.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K NT$587.0K

$11.4K NT$358.6K

63.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 NT$1,856

$94.9 NT$2,989

-37.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,072

$35.33 NT$1,113

-3.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 NT$2,997

$91.4 NT$2,880

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,894

$101 NT$3,173

22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 NT$24.8K

$432 NT$13.6K

82.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 NT$17.0K

$282 NT$8,873

92.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NT$52.5K

$940 NT$29.6K

77.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 NT$35.1K

$681 NT$21.4K

63.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$431.0K

$4,727 NT$148.9K

189.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.2K

$3,275 NT$103.2K

157.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 NT$54.0K

$1,509 NT$47.5K

13.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

2.3

-4.78%

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

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Taipei and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 13% 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: $40.00 in Taipei vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $385 per month, with Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei and Kaohsiung differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,494 vs $1,149 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Taipei pays 13% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $789 in Taipei versus $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $626 in Taipei versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,494 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.