Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Taipei: $1,395 a month against $1,500 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
Learn more

Taipei Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Learn more

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Living Index

Jump to prices

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,395

/mo nomad

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taipei and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,395 per month in Taipei vs $1,500 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Taipei $1,395
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $1,500

A couple spends around $2,227 per month in Taipei vs $2,506 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Taipei $2,227
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $2,506

A family of three spends $3,059 per month in Taipei vs $3,512 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Taipei $3,059
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $3,512

Taipei is about 7% cheaper than Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Taipei and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sit above the global median – Taipei by 4%, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.76 NT$152

$17.70 ₽1,506

-73.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.18 NT$1,537

$81.0 ₽6,895

-40.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 NT$183

$10.63 ₽904

-45.91%

Cappuccino

$3.49 NT$112

$3.47 ₽295

0.58%

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

$0.88 NT$28.03

$1.81 ₽154

-51.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.61

$0.90 ₽76.5

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$91.4

$5.20 ₽442

-45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NT$117

$5.72 ₽487

-35.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$98.5

$1.81 ₽154

70.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$65.5

$2.34 ₽199

-12.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.5

Eggs

$2.70 NT$86.0

$3.58 ₽304

-24.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.66 NT$627

$18.63 ₽1,585

5.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 NT$314

$8.44 ₽719

16.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.11 NT$674

$16.29 ₽1,386

29.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 NT$162

$4.76 ₽405

6.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 NT$108

$3.14 ₽268

7.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$95.8

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 NT$146

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 NT$86.8

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.9

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$53.7

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.81

$2.37 ₽202

-51.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$129

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 NT$457

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 NT$54.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$73.0

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.47 NT$1,228

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.0

$3.45 ₽293

-20.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 NT$24.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.59 NT$306

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.56

$0.85 ₽72.2

20.00%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

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

$24.2K NT$771.9K

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

$86.4 NT$2,756

$115 ₽9,759

-24.69%

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

$17.12 NT$546

$14.32 ₽1,218

19.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 NT$864

$9.63 ₽819

181.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.77 NT$1,301

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.04 NT$512

$35.90 ₽3,054

-55.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 NT$307

$7.02 ₽597

37.18%

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

$656 NT$20.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$524.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$2,001

$179 ₽15.2K

-64.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 NT$1,261

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,677

$120 ₽10.2K

-29.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,392

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 NT$32.4K

$818 ₽69.6K

24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 NT$15.3K

$638 ₽54.3K

-24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 NT$50.0K

$1,774 ₽150.9K

-11.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 NT$30.4K

$1,392 ₽118.5K

-31.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,207 NT$230.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,772 NT$56.5K

$1,413 ₽120.2K

25.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

24.33

-90.14%

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

Last update for Taipei: October 4, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$479 34.8%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$638 43.5% 33.3% $159

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$401 29.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$274 * 18.7% 31.8% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$132 9.6%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$134 * 9.2% 2% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$131 9.5%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$139 9.5% 6.2% $8.1

Eating Out

Taipei

$125 9.1%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$263 18% 111% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$14 * 1% 76.6% $46

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$3.5 * 0.2% 92.7% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,016 in Taipei versus $818 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 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 25% higher in Taipei, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Taipei versus $81.0 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Taipei vs $274 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – so Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇷🇺 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🕒 Local time

16:58 4:58 PM

19:58 7:58 PM

3 h ahead of Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

180,467

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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 = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taipei Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Taipei
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,092 per month in Taipei and $2,250 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 47% cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Taipei and $81.0 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Taipei, where all-in costs run around $1,395, than in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk at $1,500. In Taipei it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taipei – 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 Taipei. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.