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: $1,371 in Taipei versus $1,121 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Taipei versus $1,819 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,104 in Taipei versus $2,517 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taipei is roughly 22% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 0% above, Kaohsiung is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 NT$146

$5.38 NT$171

-14.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.10 NT$1,524

$31.67 NT$1,003

51.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 NT$186

$4.85 NT$154

21.03%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NT$109

$2.81 NT$89.0

22.42%

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

$0.92 NT$29.18

$1.08 NT$34.23

-14.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.97

$0.66 NT$20.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 NT$87.5

$1.56 NT$49.52

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 NT$119

$2.46 NT$78.1

52.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 NT$96.4

$3.18 NT$101

-4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$62.3

$2.17 NT$68.8

-9.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.0

$3.06 NT$97.1

-0.98%

Eggs

$2.77 NT$87.9

$2.57 NT$81.5

7.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$630

$15.63 NT$495

27.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 NT$315

$7.94 NT$251

25.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.25 NT$674

$15.18 NT$481

39.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 NT$160

$6.56 NT$208

-23.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.36 NT$106

$2.76 NT$87.5

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NT$98.8

$2.56 NT$81.0

21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 NT$141

$3.09 NT$97.9

44.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.8

$2.67 NT$84.6

4.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 NT$73.6

$2.07 NT$65.5

12.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$54.3

$2.38 NT$75.4

-28.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.32

$1.08 NT$34.07

9.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 NT$124

$4.18 NT$133

-6.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 NT$457

$15.86 NT$502

-9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$1.66 NT$52.7

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NT$73.1

$2.24 NT$71.0

3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 NT$21.98

$0.74 NT$23.39

-6.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.23 NT$1,180

$12.69 NT$402

193.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$85.4

$2.63 NT$83.3

2.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$23.84

$0.76 NT$23.98

-1.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 NT$301

$5.54 NT$176

71.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.12

$1.04 NT$32.96

-2.88%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$34.2K NT$1.1M

-1.27%

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

$24.1K NT$763.9K

$23.9K NT$758.5K

0.71%

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

$85.7 NT$2,716

$86.3 NT$2,736

-0.75%

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

$18.27 NT$579

$17.06 NT$541

7.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 NT$884

$26.21 NT$830

6.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.07 NT$1,302

$40.20 NT$1,274

2.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 NT$506

$10.70 NT$339

49.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 NT$306

$11.24 NT$356

-14.06%

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

$633 NT$20.1K

$465 NT$14.7K

36.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$534.5K

$14.3K NT$454.7K

17.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 NT$1,956

$92.7 NT$2,937

-33.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 NT$1,283

$33.78 NT$1,070

19.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 NT$2,656

$86.7 NT$2,747

-3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NT$3,398

$101 NT$3,200

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 NT$27.5K

$411 NT$13.0K

110.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 NT$15.7K

$280 NT$8,888

76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 NT$49.8K

$985 NT$31.2K

59.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 NT$30.3K

$688 NT$21.8K

38.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$401.2K

$4,665 NT$147.8K

171.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,665 NT$242.9K

$3,188 NT$101.0K

140.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 NT$54.4K

$1,434 NT$45.4K

19.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.56

-6.25%

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

Last update for Taipei: August 31, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $866 in Taipei and $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 20% 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: $48.00 in Taipei vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $362 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,371 vs $1,121 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $866 in Taipei versus $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $633 in Taipei versus $465 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $1,371 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 22% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.