Cost of Living Comparison Between Taitung and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Taitung and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,120 in Taitung versus $1,148 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,864 in Taitung versus $1,899 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,607 in Taitung versus $2,650 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taitung costs roughly 2% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taitung 16% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.97 NT$125

$4.11 NT$130

-3.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.27 NT$1,271

$33.83 NT$1,068

19.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 NT$183

$5.43 NT$172

6.81%

Cappuccino

$3.76 NT$119

$2.99 NT$94.5

25.75%

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

$1.18 NT$37.23

$0.97 NT$30.72

21.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$23.62

$0.72 NT$22.88

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 NT$107

$1.68 NT$53.0

101.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 NT$106

$2.79 NT$88.0

20.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$3.43 NT$108

-5.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$59.6

$2.00 NT$63.1

-5.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$96.6

$2.61 NT$82.4

17.24%

Eggs

$2.38 NT$75.0

$3.30 NT$104

-27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.31 NT$641

$16.13 NT$509

25.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$9.45 NT$298

-56.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.55 NT$649

$17.56 NT$554

17.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 NT$64.7

$6.20 NT$196

-66.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.4

$2.59 NT$81.7

15.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 NT$63.8

$2.86 NT$90.2

-29.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.11 NT$130

$4.00 NT$126

2.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$89.4

$2.91 NT$91.9

-2.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 NT$70.9

$2.23 NT$70.3

0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NT$62.0

$1.95 NT$61.4

0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 NT$43.47

$1.19 NT$37.64

15.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 NT$130

$4.53 NT$143

-9.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 NT$473

$15.61 NT$493

-3.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NT$55.6

$1.67 NT$52.6

5.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 NT$73.0

$2.56 NT$80.8

-9.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$26.37

$0.82 NT$25.94

2.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.80 NT$1,225

$26.95 NT$851

43.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$89.4

$2.91 NT$91.8

-2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.46

$0.79 NT$25.09

-2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 NT$326

$6.12 NT$193

68.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.61

$1.03 NT$32.46

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

$38.2K NT$1.2M

$34.9K NT$1.1M

9.37%

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

$27.5K NT$867.0K

$25.6K NT$809.5K

7.11%

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

$84.9 NT$2,679

$102 NT$3,231

-17.07%

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

$19.04 NT$601

$25.62 NT$809

-25.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.72 NT$780

$25.09 NT$792

-1.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.87 NT$1,196

$39.67 NT$1,252

-4.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 NT$476

$11.12 NT$351

35.61%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 NT$320

$9.98 NT$315

1.70%

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

$630 NT$19.9K

$431 NT$13.6K

46.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K NT$595.6K

$11.5K NT$361.7K

64.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.61 NT$966

$97.4 NT$3,075

-68.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.71 NT$528

$35.83 NT$1,131

-53.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.3 NT$1,683

$88.1 NT$2,781

-39.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NT$3,837

$104 NT$3,268

17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 NT$13.4K

$442 NT$13.9K

-3.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 NT$8,992

$279 NT$8,821

1.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 NT$33.2K

$960 NT$30.3K

9.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 NT$23.3K

$686 NT$21.7K

7.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,746 NT$213.0K

$4,630 NT$146.2K

45.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,689 NT$148.0K

$3,248 NT$102.5K

44.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$637 NT$20.1K

$1,533 NT$48.4K

-58.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

2.3

-4.78%

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

Last update for Taitung: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Taitung and $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 141% 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 Taitung vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $384, with Taitung 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

Taitung vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taitung and Kaohsiung differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,120 vs $1,148 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 141% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $425 in Taitung versus $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $630 in Taitung versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,120 in Taitung versus $1,148 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taitung but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Taitung 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, Taitung and Kaohsiung 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 Taitung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.