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.

🇹🇼 Taiwan
$1,164
/mo nomad
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,288
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taiwan and in Canada

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
🍽 Eating Out
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.62 NT$150
$17.44 CA$24.69
-73.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.80 NT$997
$68.8 CA$97.4
-55.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.39 NT$174
$10.70 CA$15.14
-49.63%
Cappuccino
$2.98 NT$96.6
$3.83 CA$5.42
-22.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.96 NT$31.18
$2.03 CA$2.88
-52.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65 NT$20.90
$1.64 CA$2.32
-60.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.91 NT$61.8
$5.43 CA$7.69
-64.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 NT$79.1
$5.74 CA$8.12
-57.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.10 NT$100
$2.14 CA$3.04
44.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 NT$61.1
$2.64 CA$3.74
-28.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.02 NT$97.8
$3.46 CA$4.89
-12.72%
Eggs
$2.75 NT$88.9
$3.53 CA$5.00
-22.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.32 NT$593
$10.70 CA$15.14
71.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.81 NT$285
$11.86 CA$16.79
-25.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.28 NT$657
$14.84 CA$21.00
36.66%
Apples (1kg)
$4.81 NT$156
$4.04 CA$5.71
19.06%
Banana (1kg)
$2.61 NT$84.4
$1.37 CA$1.94
90.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.95 NT$95.5
$3.72 CA$5.26
-20.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.72 NT$121
$3.99 CA$5.65
-6.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.70 NT$87.4
$2.63 CA$3.72
2.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.20 NT$71.3
$2.38 CA$3.37
-7.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.12 NT$68.8
$2.51 CA$3.55
-15.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 NT$38.78
$1.75 CA$2.48
-31.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.86 NT$125
$14.07 CA$19.92
-72.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.46 NT$404
$13.32 CA$18.85
-6.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 NT$54.1
$2.86 CA$4.05
-41.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 NT$72.2
$3.16 CA$4.47
-29.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.65 NT$21.19
$2.50 CA$3.53
-74.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.16 NT$1,203
$71.5 CA$101
-48.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.70 NT$87.3
$3.09 CA$4.38
-12.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 NT$24.65
$1.43 CA$2.03
-46.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.31 NT$302
$26.16 CA$37.02
-64.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 NT$33.87
$1.18 CA$1.67
-11.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K NT$1.1M
$28.0K CA$39.6K
18.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K NT$786.1K
$18.8K CA$26.7K
28.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.9 NT$2,780
$148 CA$210
-42.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.55 NT$568
$42.44 CA$60.1
-58.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.51 NT$761
$58.5 CA$82.8
-59.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.84 NT$1,225
$40.65 CA$57.5
-6.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.01 NT$389
$18.99 CA$26.87
-36.76%
Cinema Ticket
$9.99 NT$323
$11.25 CA$15.92
-11.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 NT$18.0K
$753 CA$1,065
-26.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K NT$525.6K
$14.3K CA$20.2K
13.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 NT$2,082
$52.5 CA$74.3
22.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.31 NT$1,046
$38.23 CA$54.1
-15.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.2 NT$2,726
$87.8 CA$124
-4.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 NT$3,345
$103 CA$146
0.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$507 NT$16.4K
$1,236 CA$1,749
-58.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$320 NT$10.3K
$1,120 CA$1,585
-71.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,117 NT$36.2K
$1,996 CA$2,825
-44.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$785 NT$25.4K
$1,714 CA$2,425
-54.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,360 NT$270.7K
$4,503 CA$6,372
85.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,346 NT$173.1K
$3,888 CA$5,502
37.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taiwan
Canada
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,736 NT$56.2K
$2,921 CA$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.
Groceries & Markets
Taiwan
$376
Canada
$366 2.7% $10
Accommodation & Living
Taiwan
$320
Canada
$1.1K 250% $800
Clothing & Footwear
Taiwan
$128
Canada
$127 0.9% $1.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taiwan
$127
Canada
$249 96.5% $122
Eating Out
Taiwan
$110
Canada
$271 147% $161
Sport & Entertainment
Taiwan
$58
Canada
$63 9.2% $5.3
Getting Around
Taiwan
$46
Canada
$92 98.2% $45

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.

Good to know
🇹🇼 Taiwan
🇨🇦 Canada
🕒 Local time
18:32 6:32 PM
06:32 6:32 AM
12 h behind Taiwan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,409,323
36,991,981
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 32.38 TWD (100 TWD = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 36.4 TWD (100 TWD = 2.75 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Taiwan Canada 11,990 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Taiwan
  • Canada

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.

Taiwan vs other spots: cost of living compared

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