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: $1,053 in Taitung versus $1,107 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,800 in Taitung versus $1,829 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,546 in Taitung versus $2,551 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taitung costs roughly 5% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taitung 23% lower, Kaohsiung 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 NT$122

$5.50 NT$175

-30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 NT$1,534

$32.11 NT$1,020

50.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 NT$193

$4.83 NT$153

26.09%

Cappuccino

$3.59 NT$114

$2.81 NT$89.4

27.76%

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

$0.98 NT$31.05

$1.08 NT$34.41

-9.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.95

$0.67 NT$21.29

-1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 NT$88.6

$1.48 NT$46.91

88.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 NT$120

$2.55 NT$81.0

48.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 NT$98.9

$3.25 NT$103

-4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NT$61.9

$2.27 NT$72.1

-14.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 NT$96.9

$3.03 NT$96.3

0.66%

Eggs

$2.25 NT$71.6

$2.69 NT$85.5

-16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 NT$620

$15.37 NT$488

27.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.90 NT$124

$7.86 NT$250

-50.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 NT$698

$15.16 NT$481

44.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 NT$60.0

$6.54 NT$208

-71.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 NT$92.0

$2.78 NT$88.4

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 NT$62.2

$2.52 NT$80.2

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 NT$146

$3.13 NT$99.3

47.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.8

$2.71 NT$86.1

5.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$72.1

$2.04 NT$64.8

11.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 NT$55.7

$2.35 NT$74.7

-25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 NT$35.74

$1.07 NT$34.11

5.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 NT$123

$4.07 NT$129

-4.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.55 NT$462

$15.91 NT$505

-8.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.7

$1.59 NT$50.6

8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NT$72.4

$2.15 NT$68.4

6.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.43

$0.75 NT$23.67

-18.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.80 NT$1,169

$12.42 NT$394

196.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.8

$2.73 NT$86.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.19

$0.78 NT$24.76

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.24 NT$294

$5.73 NT$182

61.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 NT$29.12

$1.06 NT$33.58

-13.21%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$33.2K NT$1.1M

2.32%

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

$24.4K NT$774.4K

$23.1K NT$734.1K

5.48%

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

$85.0 NT$2,699

$84.7 NT$2,689

0.37%

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

$17.93 NT$570

$17.10 NT$543

4.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.73 NT$881

$25.77 NT$819

7.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,176

$40.62 NT$1,290

-8.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$328

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$305

$10.95 NT$348

-12.33%

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

$625 NT$19.8K

$474 NT$15.0K

31.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K NT$531.7K

$14.0K NT$443.4K

19.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.95 NT$919

$94.5 NT$3,000

-69.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.63 NT$496

$33.58 NT$1,067

-53.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.4 NT$1,600

$86.5 NT$2,747

-41.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NT$3,417

$99.8 NT$3,169

7.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 NT$13.1K

$407 NT$12.9K

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 NT$7,966

$284 NT$9,023

-11.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 NT$31.5K

$998 NT$31.7K

-0.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 NT$23.5K

$670 NT$21.3K

10.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,353 NT$233.5K

$4,684 NT$148.8K

56.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,069 NT$161.0K

$3,170 NT$100.7K

59.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$633 NT$20.1K

$1,439 NT$45.7K

-56.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.56

-6.25%

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

Last update for Taitung: September 13, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Taitung and $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 127% 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: $48.00 in Taitung vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $363, 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,053 vs $1,107 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 127% 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: $414 in Taitung versus $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $625 in Taitung versus $474 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,053 in Taitung versus $1,107 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 5% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.