Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Miaoli Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Miaoli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Taipei versus $899 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,394 in Taipei versus $1,651 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Taipei versus $2,404 in Miaoli.

Living in Taipei is roughly 66% more expensive than Miaoli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 11% above, Miaoli is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 NT$209

$3.49 NT$110

90.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.45 NT$1,273

$25.88 NT$815

56.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 NT$182

$5.03 NT$158

15.11%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NT$118

$2.84 NT$89.3

32.04%

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

$1.13 NT$35.42

$1.11 NT$34.88

1.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.75

$0.69 NT$21.86

4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 NT$104

$1.71 NT$53.7

93.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$104

$2.59 NT$81.4

27.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$98.2

$3.10 NT$97.5

0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.45 NT$45.58

36.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.5

$2.52 NT$79.4

21.83%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$91.7

$2.29 NT$71.9

27.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.73 NT$621

$9.25 NT$291

113.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$311

$8.14 NT$256

21.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 NT$641

$20.58 NT$648

-1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 NT$162

$3.33 NT$105

54.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$91.8

$1.04 NT$32.67

180.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$90.8

$2.71 NT$85.2

6.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$134

$3.05 NT$95.9

39.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$2.39 NT$75.4

16.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.1

$1.90 NT$59.7

15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.87 NT$90.4

-31.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.72

$0.93 NT$29.16

49.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$6.46 NT$203

-38.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 NT$456

$11.19 NT$352

29.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.1

$1.85 NT$58.3

-5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.37 NT$74.5

2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.05

$0.87 NT$27.54

2.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,296

$39.63 NT$1,247

3.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.6

$3.00 NT$94.3

-3.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$24.94

$0.73 NT$22.84

8.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NT$316

$8.25 NT$260

21.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.63

$1.07 NT$33.64

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$36.6K NT$1.2M

4.23%

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

$27.9K NT$877.6K

$26.2K NT$823.6K

6.56%

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

$84.9 NT$2,672

$64.4 NT$2,027

31.83%

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

$18.69 NT$588

$28.45 NT$895

-34.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$779

$18.94 NT$596

30.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 NT$1,323

$36.89 NT$1,161

13.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 NT$443

$15.01 NT$473

-6.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 NT$373

$10.21 NT$321

15.96%

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

$626 NT$19.7K

$566 NT$17.8K

10.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K NT$586.5K

$30.4K NT$958.1K

-38.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 NT$1,855

$31.72 NT$999

85.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,071

$23.77 NT$748

43.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 NT$2,995

$68.8 NT$2,166

38.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,891

$103 NT$3,233

20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 NT$24.8K

$345 NT$10.9K

128.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 NT$17.0K

$168 NT$5,279

222.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NT$52.5K

$1,039 NT$32.7K

60.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 NT$35.0K

$730 NT$23.0K

52.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$430.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 NT$53.9K

$2,471 NT$77.8K

-30.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

9.50%

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

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Taipei and $345 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Taipei vs $26.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $314 per month, with Miaoli 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 Miaoli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei and Miaoli differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,494 vs $899 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Miaoli earns 44% less. 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: $789 in Taipei versus $345 in Miaoli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Miaoli – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 in Miaoli versus $1,494 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Miaoli but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Miaoli 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 Miaoli 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 Miaoli gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.