Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,139 in Taiwan versus $712 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,890 in Taiwan versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,640 in Taiwan versus $1,549 in China.

Living in Taiwan is roughly 60% more expensive than in China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Taiwan 14% lower, China 47% lower.

Taiwan ($882–$1,477) and China ($533–$1,212) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.04 NT$163

$2.77 ¥18.72

81.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.50 NT$1,116

$24.05 ¥162

43.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 NT$171

$4.73 ¥31.93

11.84%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NT$106

$3.08 ¥20.78

5.84%

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

$1.05 NT$33.94

$0.44 ¥3.00

138.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$24.05

$0.29 ¥1.98

155.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 NT$66.4

$1.01 ¥6.80

102.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NT$88.6

$2.08 ¥14.03

31.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.17 NT$102

$1.83 ¥12.39

73.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NT$63.1

$1.62 ¥10.94

20.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 NT$102

$0.97 ¥6.58

226.80%

Eggs

$2.89 NT$93.5

$1.61 ¥10.90

79.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.84 NT$577

$13.34 ¥90.1

33.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 NT$290

$3.37 ¥22.75

165.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.35 NT$658

$10.68 ¥72.2

90.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 NT$154

$1.81 ¥12.26

163.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NT$81.0

$1.25 ¥8.44

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 NT$90.5

$1.46 ¥9.88

91.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.75 NT$121

$1.15 ¥7.73

226.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$0.73 ¥4.92

282.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 NT$76.2

$0.89 ¥5.99

165.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 NT$67.9

$0.60 ¥4.05

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$42.60

$0.53 ¥3.59

149.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 NT$137

$3.39 ¥22.93

25.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 NT$457

$11.73 ¥79.3

20.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 NT$57.3

$0.77 ¥5.23

129.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$76.0

$1.63 ¥10.98

44.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$28.42

$0.41 ¥2.77

114.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.35 NT$1,305

$21.24 ¥143

89.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 NT$96.9

$1.35 ¥9.13

121.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.91

$0.36 ¥2.40

105.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 NT$333

$6.70 ¥45.26

53.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$33.09

$1.18 ¥7.98

-13.56%

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

$37.2K NT$1.2M

$19.8K ¥133.4K

88.22%

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

$27.0K NT$872.5K

$16.5K ¥111.7K

63.14%

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

$83.9 NT$2,714

$51.7 ¥349

62.18%

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

$24.57 NT$795

$10.09 ¥68.2

143.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.88 NT$772

$11.38 ¥76.9

109.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.77 NT$1,254

$39.24 ¥265

-1.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 NT$382

$14.84 ¥100

-20.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.75 NT$348

$6.30 ¥42.56

70.63%

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

$551 NT$17.8K

$414 ¥2,795

33.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NT$508.8K

$17.4K ¥117.6K

-9.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 NT$2,199

$46.77 ¥316

45.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.74 NT$1,059

$33.08 ¥223

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 NT$2,901

$70.9 ¥479

26.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 NT$3,884

$74.5 ¥503

61.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 NT$17.5K

$440 ¥2,972

23.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 NT$11.9K

$253 ¥1,707

45.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 NT$38.1K

$911 ¥6,153

29.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 NT$27.2K

$531 ¥3,584

58.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,338 NT$269.7K

$4,778 ¥32.3K

74.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,488 NT$177.5K

$2,403 ¥16.2K

128.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,701 NT$55.0K

$1,058 ¥7,144

60.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.14

4.06

-47.29%

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

Last update for Taiwan: July 27, 2026

Last update for China: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $452 in Taiwan, $287 in China. Capital cities: $794 in Taipei vs $909 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,882 in Taiwan, $857 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 57% higher in Taiwan.

Dining out costs 48% more in Taiwan.

Public transport is 117% more expensive in Taiwan.

Salaries are 120% higher in Taiwan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Taiwan.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $873 per month in China and $1,180 in Taiwan, there's a 35% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in China: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Taiwan is consistently higher than in China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in Taiwan it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: China wins on affordability; Taiwan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.