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: $1,083 in Taitung versus $1,159 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,820 in Taitung versus $1,912 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,558 in Taitung versus $2,666 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taitung costs roughly 7% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taitung 19% lower, Kaohsiung 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 NT$135

$4.16 NT$134

0.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.98 NT$1,323

$34.09 NT$1,101

20.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.66 NT$183

$5.46 NT$176

3.66%

Cappuccino

$3.86 NT$125

$2.99 NT$96.5

29.10%

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

$1.17 NT$37.81

$1.03 NT$33.19

13.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.87

$0.72 NT$23.25

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 NT$109

$1.66 NT$53.7

102.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 NT$106

$2.77 NT$89.5

18.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$101

$3.54 NT$114

-11.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$63.8

$2.07 NT$66.7

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 NT$98.3

$2.60 NT$84.0

16.92%

Eggs

$2.50 NT$80.9

$3.32 NT$107

-24.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.41 NT$659

$15.78 NT$510

29.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 NT$132

$9.24 NT$298

-55.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.37 NT$658

$17.93 NT$579

13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 NT$66.5

$5.99 NT$194

-65.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NT$95.9

$2.59 NT$83.5

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 NT$66.1

$2.78 NT$89.9

-26.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 NT$137

$4.03 NT$130

5.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 NT$91.8

$2.98 NT$96.3

-4.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$73.7

$2.24 NT$72.5

1.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$63.7

$1.92 NT$61.9

2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 NT$44.53

$1.14 NT$36.95

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$130

$4.34 NT$140

-6.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 NT$455

$15.18 NT$490

-7.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$55.9

$1.65 NT$53.4

4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$77.3

$2.45 NT$79.2

-2.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.63

$0.81 NT$26.16

1.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.67 NT$1,281

$27.16 NT$877

46.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$90.6

$2.94 NT$94.8

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 NT$23.41

$0.73 NT$23.55

-1.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.23 NT$330

$6.03 NT$195

69.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.40

$1.07 NT$34.53

-3.74%

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

$37.3K NT$1.2M

$34.2K NT$1.1M

9.27%

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

$27.3K NT$880.9K

$25.7K NT$831.4K

5.95%

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

$85.0 NT$2,744

$105 NT$3,391

-19.06%

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

$18.74 NT$605

$25.44 NT$821

-26.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.52 NT$792

$24.82 NT$802

-1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.36 NT$1,206

$38.49 NT$1,243

-2.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 NT$493

$11.37 NT$367

34.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 NT$328

$10.36 NT$335

-2.03%

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

$639 NT$20.6K

$427 NT$13.8K

49.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K NT$612.7K

$11.3K NT$364.0K

68.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.56 NT$987

$95.0 NT$3,067

-67.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.58 NT$535

$36.22 NT$1,170

-54.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.2 NT$1,718

$89.4 NT$2,886

-40.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,961

$103 NT$3,317

19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 NT$14.1K

$448 NT$14.5K

-2.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 NT$9,324

$280 NT$9,030

3.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NT$33.0K

$925 NT$29.9K

10.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.6K

$690 NT$22.3K

5.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,321 NT$204.1K

$4,510 NT$145.6K

40.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,238 NT$169.2K

$3,159 NT$102.0K

65.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$609 NT$19.7K

$1,463 NT$47.2K

-58.38%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Taitung and $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 140% 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: $41.00 in Taitung vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $382, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,083 vs $1,159 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 140% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $435 in Taitung versus $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $639 in Taitung versus $427 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,083 in Taitung versus $1,159 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 7% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.