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: $1,497 in Taipei versus $1,225 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,340 in Taipei versus $1,891 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,184 in Taipei versus $2,557 in Kobe.

Living in Taipei is roughly 22% more expensive than Kobe, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 11% above, Kobe is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 NT$216

$8.39 ¥1,341

-18.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.89 NT$1,261

$27.77 ¥4,442

43.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 NT$182

$4.76 ¥761

20.59%

Cappuccino

$3.82 NT$121

$3.00 ¥480

27.33%

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

$1.18 NT$37.35

$0.93 ¥149

26.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.45

$0.75 ¥119

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 NT$109

$2.37 ¥379

44.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$106

$3.09 ¥495

8.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.7

$1.63 ¥260

93.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$59.8

$1.28 ¥204

47.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 NT$99.1

$4.70 ¥751

-33.19%

Eggs

$2.83 NT$89.4

$1.69 ¥270

67.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.13 NT$636

$13.90 ¥2,223

44.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$313

$7.57 ¥1,211

30.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.51 NT$649

$15.52 ¥2,482

32.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 NT$167

$8.86 ¥1,418

-40.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 NT$93.4

$2.88 ¥460

2.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 NT$88.8

$4.99 ¥799

-43.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 NT$133

$9.85 ¥1,576

-57.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$91.9

$3.83 ¥612

-24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 NT$70.0

$2.66 ¥426

-16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.2

$1.38 ¥220

42.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$41.82

$1.43 ¥228

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$125

$3.41 ¥545

16.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 NT$451

$8.14 ¥1,302

75.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NT$55.7

$2.79 ¥446

-36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.8

$2.30 ¥367

4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$26.53

$1.48 ¥237

-43.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.75 NT$1,288

$38.62 ¥6,178

5.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 NT$92.6

$3.41 ¥546

-14.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.28

$1.34 ¥215

-44.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 NT$325

$17.25 ¥2,758

-40.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.25

$1.23 ¥197

-17.07%

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

$37.5K NT$1.2M

$22.0K ¥3.5M

70.78%

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

$27.1K NT$855.9K

$14.4K ¥2.3M

87.86%

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

$83.9 NT$2,653

$142 ¥22.7K

-40.92%

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

$18.55 NT$587

$26.93 ¥4,308

-31.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.94 NT$788

$34.26 ¥5,480

-27.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 NT$1,310

$47.39 ¥7,580

-12.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.55 NT$428

$20.63 ¥3,300

-34.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 NT$376

$12.67 ¥2,027

-6.16%

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

$624 NT$19.7K

$349 ¥55.8K

78.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K NT$591.8K

$11.5K ¥1.8M

62.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 NT$1,884

$45.18 ¥7,227

31.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.93 NT$1,073

$32.10 ¥5,133

5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NT$2,975

$39.48 ¥6,315

138.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NT$3,941

$47.75 ¥7,637

161.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 NT$24.7K

$484 ¥77.4K

61.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 NT$17.5K

$309 ¥49.3K

78.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 NT$53.1K

$701 ¥112.1K

139.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 NT$34.4K

$594 ¥95.0K

83.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$431.7K

$4,231 ¥676.7K

222.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,549 NT$270.3K

$2,881 ¥460.8K

196.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,788 NT$56.5K

$1,766 ¥282.4K

1.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

1.78

23.03%

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

Last update for Taipei: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kobe: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Taipei and $484 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 1% 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 $28.00 in Kobe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $386 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

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Taipei pays 1% 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: $782 in Taipei versus $484 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kobe runs roughly 6% less than in Taipei. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $624 in Taipei versus $349 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,225 in Kobe versus $1,497 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,225 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe 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 Kobe 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.