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: $1,494 in Taipei versus $1,074 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,394 in Taipei versus $1,873 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Taipei versus $2,672 in Tainan.

Living in Taipei is roughly 39% more expensive than Tainan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 11% above, Tainan is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 NT$209

$6.12 NT$193

8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.45 NT$1,273

$26.69 NT$840

51.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 NT$182

$5.11 NT$161

13.31%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NT$118

$3.50 NT$110

7.14%

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

$1.13 NT$35.42

$1.12 NT$35.24

0.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.75

$0.79 NT$24.74

-8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 NT$104

$3.30 NT$104

0.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$104

$3.35 NT$105

-1.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$98.2

$3.15 NT$99.2

-0.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.92 NT$60.4

3.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.5

$3.02 NT$95.0

1.66%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$91.7

$2.85 NT$89.7

2.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.73 NT$621

$19.81 NT$624

-0.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$311

$9.98 NT$314

-0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 NT$641

$20.31 NT$639

0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 NT$162

$4.33 NT$136

18.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$91.8

$2.82 NT$88.7

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$90.8

$2.87 NT$90.3

0.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$134

$4.27 NT$134

-0.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$2.87 NT$90.3

-2.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.1

$2.21 NT$69.5

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$1.68 NT$52.8

17.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.72

$1.06 NT$33.27

31.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$4.16 NT$131

-3.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 NT$456

$13.93 NT$438

3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.1

$1.74 NT$54.8

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.40 NT$75.6

0.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.05

$0.62 NT$19.54

43.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,296

$21.71 NT$684

89.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.6

$2.83 NT$88.9

2.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$24.94

$0.78 NT$24.61

1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NT$316

$10.36 NT$326

-2.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.63

$1.02 NT$32.05

4.90%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$37.7K NT$1.2M

1.19%

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

$27.9K NT$877.6K

$26.5K NT$835.4K

5.06%

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

$84.9 NT$2,672

$86.7 NT$2,729

-2.08%

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

$18.69 NT$588

$18.57 NT$585

0.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$779

$22.99 NT$724

7.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 NT$1,323

$39.82 NT$1,253

5.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 NT$443

$15.42 NT$486

-8.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 NT$373

$11.93 NT$376

-0.75%

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

$626 NT$19.7K

$269 NT$8,471

132.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K NT$586.5K

$6,829 NT$215.0K

172.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 NT$1,855

$59.5 NT$1,872

-0.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,071

$30.34 NT$955

12.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 NT$2,995

$92.2 NT$2,902

3.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,891

$122 NT$3,845

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 NT$24.8K

$328 NT$10.3K

140.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 NT$17.0K

$195 NT$6,152

176.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NT$52.5K

$684 NT$21.5K

143.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 NT$35.0K

$712 NT$22.4K

56.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$430.6K

$3,183 NT$100.2K

329.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.0K

$3,153 NT$99.3K

167.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 NT$53.9K

$1,368 NT$43.0K

25.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

1.83

19.67%

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

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Taipei and $328 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 25% 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: $40.00 in Taipei vs $27.00 in Tainan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $390 per month, with Tainan 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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei and Tainan differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,494 vs $1,074 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Taipei pays 25% more on average, 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: $789 in Taipei versus $328 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Tainan – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,074 in Tainan versus $1,494 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 39% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.