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: $1,389 in Taipei versus $797 in Miaoli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,217 in Taipei versus $1,111 in Miaoli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,046 in Taipei versus $1,424 in Miaoli.

Living in Taipei is roughly 74% more expensive than in Miaoli, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 3% above, Miaoli is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.83 NT$154

$2.54 NT$80.8

90.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.75 NT$1,487

$24.07 NT$766

94.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 NT$178

$4.65 NT$148

20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.57 NT$114

$2.96 NT$94.2

20.61%

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

$0.91 NT$29.00

$0.84 NT$26.85

8.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 NT$19.35

$0.57 NT$18.01

7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 NT$89.3

$1.28 NT$40.73

119.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 NT$120

$1.30 NT$41.42

190.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 NT$97.8

$2.82 NT$89.6

8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 NT$61.4

$1.20 NT$38.18

60.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$96.1

$2.60 NT$82.8

16.15%

Eggs

$2.71 NT$86.2

$2.13 NT$67.9

27.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.64 NT$625

$9.26 NT$294

112.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 NT$321

$7.55 NT$240

33.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.50 NT$684

$21.78 NT$693

-1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 NT$158

$3.84 NT$122

29.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.38 NT$107

$1.99 NT$63.2

69.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NT$98.9

$3.03 NT$96.4

2.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 NT$146

$3.02 NT$96.2

51.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 NT$86.7

$2.59 NT$82.2

5.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 NT$74.0

$1.94 NT$61.8

20.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NT$54.6

$2.36 NT$75.2

-27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$37.03

$0.92 NT$29.37

26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$129

$3.96 NT$126

2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 NT$455

$11.23 NT$357

27.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.5

$1.48 NT$47.15

11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$72.9

$2.18 NT$69.5

5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.28 NT$1,186

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 NT$86.1

$2.90 NT$92.3

-6.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.11

$0.81 NT$25.92

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 NT$304

$7.23 NT$230

32.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.22

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

0.04%

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

$23.9K NT$759.5K

$24.2K NT$771.2K

-1.51%

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

$84.6 NT$2,691

$69.0 NT$2,194

22.65%

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

$17.67 NT$562

$17.91 NT$570

-1.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.96 NT$857

$22.09 NT$703

22.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.11 NT$1,339

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.00 NT$509

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$319

$11.01 NT$350

-8.99%

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

$617 NT$19.6K

$520 NT$16.5K

18.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$523.0K

$31.8K NT$1.0M

-48.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 NT$2,002

$12.64 NT$402

398.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.84 NT$1,299

$25.17 NT$801

62.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 NT$2,727

$64.0 NT$2,037

33.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,311

$96.5 NT$3,068

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 NT$28.0K

$224 NT$7,130

292.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 NT$15.6K

$155 NT$4,936

216.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 NT$49.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 NT$30.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K NT$392.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,669 NT$243.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,691 NT$53.8K

$2,530 NT$80.5K

-33.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

-20.00%

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

Last update for Taipei: September 20, 2026

Last update for Miaoli: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $881 in Taipei and $224 in Miaoli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Miaoli pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Taipei vs $24.00 in Miaoli for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $315 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,389 vs $797 including rent). Miaoli is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Miaoli. 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: $881 in Taipei versus $224 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.

All in, you'll spend $1,389 per month in Taipei versus $797 in Miaoli – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $797 in Miaoli versus $1,389 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 74% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.