Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kobe Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kobe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,384 in Taipei versus $1,400 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,233 in Taipei versus $2,113 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Taipei versus $2,825 in Kobe.

Living in Taipei costs roughly 1% less than in Kobe, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipei 1% above, Kobe 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.61 NT$147

$7.60 ¥1,186

-39.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 NT$1,492

$32.42 ¥5,063

44.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$177

$5.11 ¥798

8.41%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NT$110

$2.39 ¥373

44.77%

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

$0.92 NT$29.46

$1.20 ¥188

-23.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 NT$19.84

$0.59 ¥92.7

5.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 NT$88.6

$2.06 ¥321

34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 NT$122

$2.41 ¥377

58.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 NT$99.1

$1.59 ¥248

95.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$62.7

$1.34 ¥210

47.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 NT$101

$4.28 ¥669

-25.93%

Eggs

$2.81 NT$89.6

$2.12 ¥331

32.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.49 NT$621

$12.98 ¥2,026

50.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 NT$319

$7.31 ¥1,141

36.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 NT$698

$17.63 ¥2,754

24.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 NT$153

$8.17 ¥1,276

-41.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 NT$103

$3.00 ¥469

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.1

$5.28 ¥825

-43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 NT$139

$8.09 ¥1,263

-46.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NT$86.0

$3.93 ¥614

-31.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.7

$3.52 ¥549

-35.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NT$54.3

$1.21 ¥189

40.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 NT$37.24

$0.91 ¥143

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 NT$128

$3.52 ¥549

14.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 NT$455

$8.49 ¥1,326

68.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.7

$2.02 ¥316

-17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 NT$70.8

$1.49 ¥233

48.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.39

$1.51 ¥237

-59.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.17 NT$1,216

$64.0 ¥10,000

-40.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.1

$3.15 ¥492

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$25.62

$3.29 ¥514

-75.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.18 NT$292

$26.72 ¥4,172

-65.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.61

$1.14 ¥178

-7.02%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$20.5K ¥3.2M

66.01%

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

$24.4K NT$778.1K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

57.66%

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

$83.2 NT$2,650

$117 ¥18.2K

-28.58%

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

$17.73 NT$565

$24.28 ¥3,792

-26.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.05 NT$893

$32.53 ¥5,080

-13.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 NT$1,319

$47.92 ¥7,484

-13.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 NT$520

$11.94 ¥1,865

36.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.51 NT$303

$11.50 ¥1,797

-17.30%

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

$615 NT$19.6K

$325 ¥50.7K

89.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NT$544.4K

$6,269 ¥979.0K

172.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$1,996

$51.6 ¥8,051

21.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 NT$1,284

$26.24 ¥4,098

53.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 NT$2,697

$47.31 ¥7,389

79.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NT$3,339

$67.9 ¥10.6K

54.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 NT$28.6K

$696 ¥108.7K

29.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 NT$15.6K

$467 ¥72.9K

4.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 NT$49.4K

$1,090 ¥170.3K

42.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 NT$30.9K

$764 ¥119.4K

27.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.8K

$4,443 ¥693.9K

175.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,708 NT$245.5K

$2,943 ¥459.6K

161.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 NT$54.6K

$2,062 ¥322.0K

-16.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

1.66

44.58%

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

Last update for Taipei: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kobe: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $898 in Taipei and $696 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe 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: $47.00 in Taipei vs $32.00 in Kobe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $368 per month, with Kobe 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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Kobe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taipei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Kobe. 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: $898 in Taipei versus $696 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Taipei runs roughly 68% less than in Kobe. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $615 in Taipei versus $325 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,384 in Taipei versus $1,400 in Kobe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Kobe. The gap between the two cities makes Taipei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taipei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,384 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taipei hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Taipei and Kobe 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 Taipei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Kobe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.