Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kone

For one person, living is cheaper in Kone: $463 a month against $1,395 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
Learn more

Taipei Living Index

Jump to prices

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Kone

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$463

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Kone

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 Kone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Taipei versus $463 in Kone.

Taipei $1,395
Kone $463

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,227 in Taipei versus $688 in Kone.

Taipei $2,227
Kone $688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Taipei versus $913 in Kone.

Taipei $3,059
Kone $913

Living in Taipei is roughly 201% more expensive than in Kone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 4% above, Kone is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 NT$152

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,538

$52.9 CFPF 5,631

-8.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 NT$184

Cappuccino

$3.49 NT$112

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

$0.88 NT$28.04

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$91.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NT$117

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.6

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$65.5

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.6

Eggs

$2.70 NT$86.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 NT$628

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NT$314

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.11 NT$674

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 NT$162

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 NT$108

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.9

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NT$146

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.8

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.9

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$53.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.82

$1.45 CFPF 154

-20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

$17.44 CFPF 1,856

-76.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 NT$457

$15.06 CFPF 1,602

-4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$54.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

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

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

$172 CFPF 18.3K

-49.90%

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

$17.12 NT$547

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 NT$864

$95.5 CFPF 10.2K

-71.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 NT$1,302

$56.2 CFPF 5,984

-27.51%

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

$115 CFPF 12.2K

-45.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 NT$1,261

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,678

$70.3 CFPF 7,477

19.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,393

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 NT$32.4K

$583 CFPF 62.0K

74.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 NT$15.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NT$50.1K

$1,500 CFPF 159.6K

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 NT$30.4K

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

$2,926 CFPF 311.4K

-39.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

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

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kone: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$479 34.8%

Kone

–

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$401 29.2%

Kone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$132 9.6%

Kone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$131 9.5%

Kone

–

Eating Out

Taipei

$125 9.1%

Kone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Kone

–

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Kone

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Taipei and $583 in Kone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kone pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Taipei vs $53.0 in Kone. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $47.00, with Kone cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇳🇨 Kone

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

14:49 2:49 PM

3 h ahead of Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

5,500

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, 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).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taipei Kone 6,940 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
Kone

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 Kone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kone wins on cost – living expenses run 201% lower than in Taipei. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Kone. 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: $1,016 in Taipei versus $583 in Kone. 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 $463 in Kone – a 201% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 746% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $463 in Kone versus $1,395 in Taipei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kone but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Kone 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 Kone 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 Kone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.