Measurement units Temperature, distance and clock format
Last update: Oct 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and Canada
For one person, living is cheaper in Taiwan: $1,164 a month against $2,288 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taiwan and in Canada actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,164 per month in Taiwan vs $2,288 in Canada, rent included.
Taiwan $1,164
Canada $2,288
A couple spends around $1,925 per month in Taiwan vs $3,318 in Canada, rent included.
Taiwan $1,925
Canada $3,318
A family of three spends $2,685 per month in Taiwan vs $4,348 in Canada, rent included.
Taiwan $2,685
Canada $4,348
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($878–$3,623) than in Taiwan ($778–$1,368), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Taiwan is roughly 49% lower than in Canada on average.
📊
Taiwan sits 14% below the global median, while Canada is 69% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.62NT$150
$17.44CA$24.69
-73.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.80NT$997
$68.8CA$97.4
-55.25%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$5.39NT$174
$10.70CA$15.14
-49.63%
Cappuccino
$2.98NT$96.6
$3.83CA$5.42
-22.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96NT$31.18
$2.03CA$2.88
-52.71%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65NT$20.90
$1.64CA$2.32
-60.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.91NT$61.8
$5.43CA$7.69
-64.83%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44NT$79.1
$5.74CA$8.12
-57.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$3.10NT$100
$2.14CA$3.04
44.86%
White Bread(500g)
$1.89NT$61.1
$2.64CA$3.74
-28.41%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$3.02NT$97.8
$3.46CA$4.89
-12.72%
Eggs
$2.75NT$88.9
$3.53CA$5.00
-22.10%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$18.32NT$593
$10.70CA$15.14
71.21%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.81NT$285
$11.86CA$16.79
-25.72%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$20.28NT$657
$14.84CA$21.00
36.66%
Apples(1kg)
$4.81NT$156
$4.04CA$5.71
19.06%
Banana(1kg)
$2.61NT$84.4
$1.37CA$1.94
90.51%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.95NT$95.5
$3.72CA$5.26
-20.70%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.72NT$121
$3.99CA$5.65
-6.77%
Potato(1kg)
$2.70NT$87.4
$2.63CA$3.72
2.66%
Onion(1kg)
$2.20NT$71.3
$2.38CA$3.37
-7.56%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.12NT$68.8
$2.51CA$3.55
-15.54%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20NT$38.78
$1.75CA$2.48
-31.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.86NT$125
$14.07CA$19.92
-72.57%
Wine(Bottle)
$12.46NT$404
$13.32CA$18.85
-6.46%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67NT$54.1
$2.86CA$4.05
-41.61%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23NT$72.2
$3.16CA$4.47
-29.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.65NT$21.19
$2.50CA$3.53
-74.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$37.16NT$1,203
$71.5CA$101
-48.04%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.70NT$87.3
$3.09CA$4.38
-12.62%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.76NT$24.65
$1.43CA$2.03
-46.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$9.31NT$302
$26.16CA$37.02
-64.41%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.05NT$33.87
$1.18CA$1.67
-11.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1KNT$1.1M
$28.0KCA$39.6K
18.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3KNT$786.1K
$18.8KCA$26.7K
28.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$85.9NT$2,780
$148CA$210
-42.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.55NT$568
$42.44CA$60.1
-58.65%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.51NT$761
$58.5CA$82.8
-59.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$37.84NT$1,225
$40.65CA$57.5
-6.91%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.01NT$389
$18.99CA$26.87
-36.76%
Cinema Ticket
$9.99NT$323
$11.25CA$15.92
-11.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$556NT$18.0K
$753CA$1,065
-26.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$16.2KNT$525.6K
$14.3KCA$20.2K
13.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3NT$2,082
$52.5CA$74.3
22.58%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.31NT$1,046
$38.23CA$54.1
-15.49%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$84.2NT$2,726
$87.8CA$124
-4.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103NT$3,345
$103CA$146
0.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$507NT$16.4K
$1,236CA$1,749
-58.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$320NT$10.3K
$1,120CA$1,585
-71.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,117NT$36.2K
$1,996CA$2,825
-44.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$785NT$25.4K
$1,714CA$2,425
-54.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$8,360NT$270.7K
$4,503CA$6,372
85.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$5,346NT$173.1K
$3,888CA$5,502
37.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,736NT$56.2K
$2,921CA$4,133
-40.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
2.45
4.87
-49.69%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Taiwan: October 11, 2026
Last update for Canada: October 13, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Taiwan
$376 32.3%
Canada
$366 16% ↓ 2.7%$10
🏠Accommodation & Living
Taiwan
$320 27.5%
Canada
$1.1K 48.9% ↑ 250%$800
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Taiwan
$128 11%
Canada
$127 5.5% ↓ 0.9%$1.2
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taiwan
$127 10.9%
Canada
$249 10.9% ↑ 96.5%$122
🍽Eating Out
Taiwan
$110 9.4%
Canada
$271 11.9% ↑ 147%$161
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Taiwan
$58 5%
Canada
$63 2.8% ↑ 9.2%$5.3
🚌Getting Around
Taiwan
$46 4%
Canada
$92 4% ↑ 98.2%$45
🛒Groceries & Markets
Taiwan
$880 32.8%
Canada
$835 19.2% ↓ 5.1%$45
🏠Accommodation & Living
Taiwan
$785 29.2%
Canada
$1.7K 39.4% ↑ 118%$929
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Taiwan
$284 10.6%
Canada
$281 6.5% ↓ 0.9%$2.7
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taiwan
$144 5.4%
Canada
$292 6.7% ↑ 102%$147
🍽Eating Out
Taiwan
$371 13.8%
Canada
$892 20.5% ↑ 141%$522
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Taiwan
$128 4.8%
Canada
$145 3.3% ↑ 13.8%$18
🚌Getting Around
Taiwan
$94 3.5%
Canada
$189 4.3% ↑ 101%$95
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $431 in Taiwan vs $1,199 in Canada. For reference, capital cities sit at $999 in Taipei and $1,473 in Ottawa.
💰Average salary: $1,903 in Taiwan vs $2,892 in Canada. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 178% higher in Canada.
⭐Dining out costs 97% more in Canada.
⭐Public transport is 93% more expensive in Canada.
⭐Salaries are 52% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Taiwan.
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
Taiwan vs Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canada more expensive than Taiwan?
Taiwan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 96% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,199 versus $431 in Taiwan.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget in Canada or in Taiwan?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Taiwan, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Canada or to Taiwan?
Taiwan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.