Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Yilan

For one person, living is cheaper in Yilan: $1,008 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Yilan
Learn more

Yilan Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Yilan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Yilan

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Taipei vs $1,008 in Yilan, rent included.

Taipei $1,368
Yilan $1,008

A couple spends around $2,202 per month in Taipei vs $1,731 in Yilan, rent included.

Taipei $2,202
Yilan $1,731

A family of three spends $3,036 per month in Taipei vs $2,455 in Yilan, rent included.

Taipei $3,036
Yilan $2,455

Taipei costs about 36% more than Yilan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Taipei sits 1% above the global median, while Yilan is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 NT$149

$3.55 NT$115

29.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.13 NT$1,528

$29.99 NT$973

57.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 NT$181

$4.61 NT$149

21.04%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NT$112

$2.88 NT$93.5

19.79%

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

$0.94 NT$30.61

$1.03 NT$33.33

-8.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.73

$0.65 NT$21.18

3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$1.52 NT$49.41

88.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 NT$120

$2.88 NT$93.4

28.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$101

$3.16 NT$102

-1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$64.0

$1.71 NT$55.3

15.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NT$103

$2.74 NT$88.7

15.33%

Eggs

$2.68 NT$86.9

$2.62 NT$84.9

2.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$645

$28.52 NT$925

-30.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NT$319

$8.15 NT$264

20.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.51 NT$698

$17.07 NT$554

26.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 NT$157

$4.36 NT$142

11.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 NT$105

$1.89 NT$61.3

71.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.2

$3.10 NT$100

-2.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 NT$147

$2.17 NT$70.5

108.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$1.19 NT$38.51

134.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.9

$1.88 NT$61.1

24.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.5

$2.41 NT$78.0

-30.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.62

$0.86 NT$27.78

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 NT$123

$3.87 NT$125

-1.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 NT$460

$15.70 NT$509

-9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$53.0

$1.40 NT$45.55

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.3

$2.45 NT$79.3

-6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$21.04

$0.75 NT$24.37

-13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.88 NT$1,228

$36.68 NT$1,189

3.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$2.75 NT$89.1

-2.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.55

$0.97 NT$31.37

-15.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 NT$297

$9.39 NT$305

-2.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.93

$1.02 NT$33.23

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$25.1K NT$814.8K

30.60%

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

$24.5K NT$795.1K

$19.5K NT$633.9K

25.43%

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

$87.7 NT$2,843

$47.16 NT$1,529

85.92%

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

$17.28 NT$560

$15.12 NT$490

14.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 NT$888

$21.30 NT$691

28.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 NT$1,308

$31.11 NT$1,009

29.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 NT$319

$7.85 NT$255

25.22%

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

$663 NT$21.5K

$340 NT$11.0K

94.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$538.4K

$16.6K NT$537.7K

0.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 NT$2,025

$54.9 NT$1,781

13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 NT$1,281

$31.44 NT$1,020

25.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 NT$2,740

$84.0 NT$2,723

0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,424

$62.2 NT$2,016

69.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 NT$32.4K

$275 NT$8,930

262.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 NT$15.3K

$254 NT$8,237

86.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NT$50.8K

$995 NT$32.3K

57.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 NT$30.7K

$727 NT$23.6K

30.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K NT$385.6K

$7,893 NT$256.0K

50.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,306 NT$236.9K

$4,975 NT$161.3K

46.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 NT$57.1K

$1,041 NT$33.8K

69.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.27

5.73%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Last update for Yilan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$473 34.6%

Yilan

$254 25.2% 46.3% $219

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$400 29.3%

Yilan

$375 37.2% 6.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$132 9.7%

Yilan

$84 8.3% 36.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$131 9.6%

Yilan

$105 10.4% 20.4% $27

Eating Out

Taipei

$123 9%

Yilan

$97 9.6% 21.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Yilan

$47 4.7% 22% $13

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Yilan

$47 4.7% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $999 in Taipei versus $275 in Yilan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% 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 $47.00 in Taipei versus $30.00 in Yilan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $375 – making Yilan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇹🇼 Yilan

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

Same time as Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

95,907

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Yilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,052 per month in Taipei and $1,512 in Yilan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yilan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,368 in Taipei and $1,008 in Yilan. That's a gap of about 36%.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Yilan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yilan, where all-in costs run around $1,008, than in Taipei at $1,368. In Yilan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yilan – 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 Yilan. 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.