Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Tainan Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Tainan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,371 in Taipei versus $1,197 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Taipei versus $2,035 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,104 in Taipei versus $2,873 in Tainan.

Living in Taipei is roughly 15% more expensive than in Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 0% above, Tainan is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 NT$147

$4.85 NT$154

-4.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.10 NT$1,526

$24.87 NT$789

93.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 NT$186

$4.70 NT$149

24.89%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NT$109

$3.33 NT$106

3.30%

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

$0.92 NT$29.21

$1.36 NT$43.21

-32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.00

$0.91 NT$28.83

-27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.76 NT$87.6

$3.15 NT$99.8

-12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 NT$119

$3.43 NT$109

9.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 NT$96.5

$3.06 NT$97.2

-0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$62.4

$1.78 NT$56.5

10.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.1

$2.96 NT$94.0

2.36%

Eggs

$2.77 NT$88.0

$3.07 NT$97.4

-9.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$631

$22.47 NT$713

-11.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.95 NT$316

$13.28 NT$421

-25.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.25 NT$674

$21.40 NT$679

-0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 NT$160

$5.44 NT$173

-7.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.36 NT$107

$2.89 NT$91.5

16.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NT$99.0

$4.88 NT$155

-36.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 NT$142

$7.20 NT$229

-38.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.9

$4.66 NT$148

-39.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 NT$73.6

$4.40 NT$139

-47.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$54.4

$2.89 NT$91.7

-40.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.37

$1.44 NT$45.64

-18.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 NT$124

$4.07 NT$129

-4.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 NT$458

$11.92 NT$378

21.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$2.03 NT$64.5

-17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NT$73.2

$2.25 NT$71.2

2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 NT$22.01

$0.65 NT$20.70

6.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.23 NT$1,181

$33.59 NT$1,066

10.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$85.5

$2.76 NT$87.5

-2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$23.87

$0.97 NT$30.87

-22.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.50 NT$302

$5.51 NT$175

72.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.15

$1.02 NT$32.35

-0.98%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-8.49%

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

$24.1K NT$764.8K

$25.0K NT$793.7K

-3.64%

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

$85.7 NT$2,719

$90.2 NT$2,860

-4.96%

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

$18.27 NT$580

$17.57 NT$557

3.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.88 NT$885

$21.89 NT$695

27.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.07 NT$1,303

$46.00 NT$1,459

-10.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 NT$506

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 NT$307

$11.03 NT$350

-12.42%

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

$633 NT$20.1K

$425 NT$13.5K

48.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$535.1K

$5,560 NT$176.4K

203.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 NT$1,958

$94.4 NT$2,993

-34.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 NT$1,284

$46.33 NT$1,470

-12.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 NT$2,659

$119 NT$3,780

-29.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NT$3,402

$124 NT$3,920

-13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$866 NT$27.5K

$311 NT$9,853

178.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 NT$15.7K

$194 NT$6,150

154.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 NT$49.9K

$843 NT$26.8K

86.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 NT$30.3K

$721 NT$22.9K

32.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K NT$401.6K

$4,189 NT$132.9K

202.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,665 NT$243.2K

$3,129 NT$99.3K

145.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 NT$54.4K

$1,366 NT$43.3K

25.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.5

-4.00%

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

Last update for Taipei: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tainan: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $866 in Taipei and $311 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Taipei vs $25.00 in Tainan. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 vs $461, with Taipei cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei and Tainan differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,371 vs $1,197 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Taipei, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $866 in Taipei versus $311 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Taipei pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Tainan – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $48.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,197 in Tainan versus $1,371 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tainan but tight or insufficient in Taipei. The gap between the two cities makes Tainan 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 Tainan 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 Tainan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.