Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Palikir

For one person, living is cheaper in Palikir: $1,021 a month against $1,395 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taipei outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Palikir
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Palikir Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Palikir

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Palikir

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

A single person spends $1,395 per month in Taipei vs $1,021 in Palikir, rent included.

Taipei $1,395
Palikir $1,021

A couple spends around $2,227 per month in Taipei vs $1,593 in Palikir, rent included.

Taipei $2,227
Palikir $1,593

A family of three spends $3,059 per month in Taipei vs $2,165 in Palikir, rent included.

Taipei $3,059
Palikir $2,165

Taipei costs about 37% more than Palikir, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Taipei sits 4% above the global median, while Palikir is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 NT$152

$29.98 $29.98

-84.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,538

$45.63 $45.63

5.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 NT$184

$5.88 $5.88

-2.21%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NT$112

$2.92 $2.92

19.52%

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

$0.88 NT$28.04

$1.13 $1.13

-22.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.62

$2.02 $2.02

-67.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$91.4

$0.99 $0.99

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NT$117

$2.05 $2.05

79.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.6

$0.22 $0.22

1304.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$65.5

$2.19 $2.19

-6.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.6

$2.14 $2.14

42.99%

Eggs

$2.70 NT$86.1

$2.34 $2.34

15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 NT$628

$4.31 $4.31

356.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NT$314

$4.33 $4.33

127.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.11 NT$674

$6.59 $6.59

220.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 NT$162

$3.57 $3.57

42.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 NT$108

$2.48 $2.48

36.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.9

$2.17 $2.17

38.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NT$146

$3.06 $3.06

49.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.8

$3.37 $3.37

-19.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.9

$2.24 $2.24

1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$53.7

$1.92 $1.92

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.82

$1.11 $1.11

3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

$18.02 $18.02

-77.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 NT$457

$6.91 $6.91

107.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$54.2

$1.44 $1.44

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

$1.43 $1.43

60.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.47

$0.81 $0.81

-24.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 NT$1,228

$33.38 $33.38

15.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.0

$6.34 $6.34

-56.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.03

$1.70 $1.70

-55.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 NT$306

$4.91 $4.91

95.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.57

$3.20 $3.20

-68.13%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$4,053 $4,053

740.99%

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

$24.2K NT$772.3K

$4,073 $4,073

493.99%

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

$86.4 NT$2,757

$39.98 $39.98

116.03%

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

$17.12 NT$547

$15.26 $15.26

12.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 NT$864

$261 $261

-89.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 NT$1,302

$41.13 $41.13

-0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 NT$512

$20.37 $20.37

-21.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$307

$7.09 $7.09

35.83%

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

$656 NT$20.9K

$115 $115

468.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$524.3K

$1,664 $1,664

886.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$2,002

$19.93 $19.93

214.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 NT$1,261

$24.85 $24.85

58.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,678

$70.4 $70.4

19.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,393

$54.8 $54.8

93.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 NT$32.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 NT$15.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NT$50.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 NT$30.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.4K

$843 $843

1346.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 NT$230.1K

$694 $694

938.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,772 NT$56.6K

$252 $252

603.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

380000

-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 Palikir: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$479 34.8%

Palikir

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$401 29.2%

Palikir

$213 20.7% 47.1% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$132 9.6%

Palikir

$77 7.5% 41.9% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$131 9.5%

Palikir

$316 30.8% 142% $185

Eating Out

Taipei

$125 9.1%

Palikir

$314 30.6% 151% $189

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Palikir

$55 5.4% 7.9% $4.7

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Palikir

$51 5% 8.5% $4.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 603% higher in Taipei, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Taipei versus $46.00 in Palikir. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $213 – making Palikir the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇫🇲 Palikir

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

22:29 10:29 PM

3 h ahead of Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

6,942 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.8 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 = 35.77 TWD (100 TWD = 2.8 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

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Highest

Between locations

Taipei Palikir 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
Palikir

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 Palikir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,395 in Taipei, $1,021 in Palikir – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,092 per month in Taipei and $1,531 in Palikir. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 89% more in Taipei, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Taipei and $46.00 in Palikir. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Palikir, where all-in costs run around $1,021, than in Taipei at $1,395. In Palikir it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Palikir – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Palikir. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taipei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.