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: $1,497 in Taipei versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,333 in Taipei versus $1,952 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,168 in Taipei versus $2,719 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taipei is roughly 26% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 12% above, Kaohsiung is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.62 NT$214

$4.12 NT$133

60.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.86 NT$1,286

$33.84 NT$1,092

17.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 NT$180

$5.39 NT$174

3.71%

Cappuccino

$3.93 NT$127

$2.96 NT$95.7

32.77%

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

$1.16 NT$37.60

$0.98 NT$31.76

18.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.19

$0.76 NT$24.54

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 NT$111

$1.74 NT$56.0

98.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$111

$2.70 NT$87.1

27.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$102

$3.55 NT$115

-10.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.8

$1.97 NT$63.7

-4.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$97.9

$2.63 NT$84.9

15.21%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$91.9

$3.21 NT$104

-11.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.35 NT$657

$15.90 NT$513

27.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 NT$327

$9.50 NT$307

6.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.00 NT$646

$17.68 NT$571

13.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 NT$162

$6.13 NT$198

-17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.6

$2.55 NT$82.5

12.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$93.7

$2.82 NT$90.9

2.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 NT$135

$4.03 NT$130

3.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.4

$2.96 NT$95.5

-3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.4

$2.25 NT$72.6

-0.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$62.8

$1.89 NT$61.0

3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NT$42.42

$1.15 NT$37.14

13.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 NT$134

$4.31 NT$139

-3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 NT$446

$15.26 NT$493

-9.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 NT$58.2

$1.71 NT$55.3

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$76.4

$2.56 NT$82.7

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 NT$27.76

$0.88 NT$28.26

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.26 NT$1,332

$27.22 NT$879

51.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$95.0

$2.86 NT$92.3

2.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.90

$0.77 NT$24.93

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$333

$6.28 NT$203

64.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.44

$1.03 NT$33.17

0.97%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$34.1K NT$1.1M

13.37%

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

$27.6K NT$891.5K

$24.9K NT$804.7K

10.78%

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

$86.2 NT$2,781

$104 NT$3,368

-17.42%

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

$18.64 NT$602

$24.88 NT$803

-25.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.48 NT$790

$25.03 NT$808

-2.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 NT$1,341

$39.26 NT$1,267

5.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.88 NT$448

$11.20 NT$362

23.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 NT$378

$10.35 NT$334

13.14%

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

$643 NT$20.8K

$422 NT$13.6K

52.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$608.4K

$11.2K NT$361.3K

68.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,921

$95.4 NT$3,079

-37.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 NT$1,078

$35.24 NT$1,137

-5.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NT$2,999

$88.6 NT$2,859

4.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NT$3,915

$103 NT$3,319

17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 NT$25.7K

$437 NT$14.1K

82.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 NT$17.4K

$274 NT$8,855

96.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 NT$53.3K

$933 NT$30.1K

76.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NT$34.9K

$704 NT$22.7K

53.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K NT$414.3K

$4,554 NT$147.0K

181.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,600 NT$245.3K

$3,076 NT$99.3K

147.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 NT$55.4K

$1,502 NT$48.5K

14.19%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

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

Taipei pays 14% 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 $398 vs $383 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,497 vs $1,186 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Taipei, 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: $795 in Taipei versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $643 in Taipei versus $422 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 $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,497 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 26% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.