Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kolonia

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,395 a month against $1,491 in Kolonia, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kolonia outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Kolonia

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Kolonia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taipei and in Kolonia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Taipei versus $1,491 in Kolonia.

Taipei $1,395
Kolonia $1,491

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,227 in Taipei versus $2,269 in Kolonia.

Taipei $2,227
Kolonia $2,269

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Taipei versus $3,047 in Kolonia.

Taipei $3,059
Kolonia $3,047

Living in Taipei costs roughly 6% less than in Kolonia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taipei 4% above, Kolonia 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 NT$152

$10.02 $10.02

-52.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,538

$24.53 $24.53

96.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 NT$184

$10.15 $10.15

-43.35%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NT$112

$4.42 $4.42

-21.04%

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

$0.88 NT$28.04

$1.02 $1.02

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$91.4

$1.22 $1.22

134.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NT$117

$2.05 $2.05

79.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.6

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$65.5

$1.97 $1.97

4.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.6

$1.21 $1.21

152.89%

Eggs

$2.70 NT$86.1

$7.41 $7.41

-63.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 NT$628

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NT$314

$23.91 $23.91

-58.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.11 NT$674

$67.0 $67.0

-68.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 NT$162

$6.52 $6.52

-22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 NT$108

$2.22 $2.22

52.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.9

$6.49 $6.49

-53.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NT$146

$10.88 $10.88

-58.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.8

$13.36 $13.36

-79.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.9

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$53.7

$6.08 $6.08

-72.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.82

$2.04 $2.04

-43.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 NT$457

$9.09 $9.09

57.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$54.2

$1.53 $1.53

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

$1.48 $1.48

54.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 NT$1,228

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.03

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 NT$306

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.57

$1.43 $1.43

-28.67%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

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

$24.2K NT$772.3K

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

$86.4 NT$2,757

$203 $203

-57.46%

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

$17.12 NT$547

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 NT$864

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 NT$1,302

$14.99 $14.99

171.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 NT$512

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$307

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

$656 NT$20.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$524.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$2,002

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 NT$1,261

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,678

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,393

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 NT$32.4K

$710 $710

43.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 NT$15.3K

$495 $495

-3.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NT$50.1K

$1,017 $1,017

54.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 NT$30.4K

$795 $795

19.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 NT$230.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,772 NT$56.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

400000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kolonia: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$479 34.8%

Kolonia

–

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$401 29.2%

Kolonia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$132 9.6%

Kolonia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$131 9.5%

Kolonia

–

Eating Out

Taipei

$125 9.1%

Kolonia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Kolonia

–

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Kolonia

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Taipei and $710 in Kolonia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Taipei vs $25.00 in Kolonia. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $619, with Taipei cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇫🇲 Kolonia

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

17:37 5:37 PM

3 h ahead of Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

6,074

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.92 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.81 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taipei Kolonia 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
Kolonia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kolonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Kolonia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taipei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,092 in Taipei and $2,237 in Kolonia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,016 in Taipei versus $710 in Kolonia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,395 per month in Taipei versus $1,491 in Kolonia – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Kolonia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,395 in Taipei versus $1,491 in Kolonia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Taipei but tight or insufficient in Kolonia. The gap between the two cities makes Taipei 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 Kolonia 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 7% less than in Kolonia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.