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: $1,497 in Taipei versus $1,077 in Tainan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,333 in Taipei versus $1,884 in Tainan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,168 in Taipei versus $2,690 in Tainan.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 12% above, Tainan is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.62 NT$214

$6.08 NT$197

8.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.86 NT$1,288

$27.21 NT$879

46.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 NT$181

$4.94 NT$160

13.16%

Cappuccino

$3.93 NT$127

$3.48 NT$113

12.93%

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

$1.16 NT$37.64

$1.13 NT$36.39

2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.22

$0.75 NT$24.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 NT$111

$3.36 NT$109

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$112

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$102

$3.21 NT$104

-1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.88 NT$60.6

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.0

$2.87 NT$92.6

5.57%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$92.0

$2.78 NT$89.8

2.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.35 NT$658

$19.96 NT$645

1.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 NT$327

$10.11 NT$327

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.00 NT$646

$20.25 NT$654

-1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 NT$163

$4.30 NT$139

16.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.7

$2.93 NT$94.8

-2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$93.8

$2.90 NT$93.7

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 NT$135

$4.16 NT$134

0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.5

$2.92 NT$94.4

-2.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$2.28 NT$73.7

-1.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$62.9

$1.70 NT$54.9

14.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NT$42.46

$1.07 NT$34.55

22.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 NT$134

$4.05 NT$131

2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 NT$447

$13.52 NT$437

2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 NT$58.3

$1.75 NT$56.7

2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$76.5

$2.35 NT$76.0

0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 NT$27.79

$0.59 NT$18.90

45.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.26 NT$1,333

$21.97 NT$710

87.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$95.1

$2.90 NT$93.6

1.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.92

$0.79 NT$25.57

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$333

$10.32 NT$334

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.47

$1.01 NT$32.69

2.97%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$38.6K NT$1.2M

0.17%

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

$27.6K NT$892.5K

$26.4K NT$854.6K

4.43%

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

$86.2 NT$2,784

$84.6 NT$2,734

1.86%

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

$18.64 NT$602

$18.51 NT$598

0.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.48 NT$791

$23.10 NT$746

5.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 NT$1,342

$40.10 NT$1,296

3.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.88 NT$448

$15.06 NT$487

-7.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 NT$378

$11.73 NT$379

-0.17%

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

$643 NT$20.8K

$273 NT$8,820

135.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$609.1K

$6,899 NT$222.9K

173.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,923

$57.6 NT$1,860

3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 NT$1,079

$30.71 NT$992

8.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NT$3,002

$92.6 NT$2,993

0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NT$3,920

$121 NT$3,922

-0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 NT$25.7K

$331 NT$10.7K

140.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 NT$17.4K

$194 NT$6,264

177.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 NT$53.3K

$695 NT$22.5K

137.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NT$34.9K

$731 NT$23.6K

47.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K NT$414.7K

$3,050 NT$98.6K

320.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,600 NT$245.6K

$3,037 NT$98.1K

150.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 NT$55.4K

$1,352 NT$43.7K

26.88%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Tainan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $795 in Taipei and $331 in Tainan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taipei pays 27% 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 $398 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 ($1,497 vs $1,077 including rent). Tainan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $795 in Taipei versus $331 in Tainan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% 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 $1,077 in Tainan versus $1,497 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.