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: $1,146 in Taiwan versus $713 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,897 in Taiwan versus $1,132 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,647 in Taiwan versus $1,551 in China.

Living in Taiwan is roughly 61% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Taiwan 15% lower, China 47% lower.

Taiwan ($877–$1,497) and China ($535–$1,206) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 NT$160

$2.86 ¥19.36

76.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.32 NT$1,053

$23.29 ¥158

43.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 NT$175

$4.83 ¥32.66

14.49%

Cappuccino

$3.18 NT$101

$3.04 ¥20.52

4.61%

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

$1.04 NT$32.99

$0.45 ¥3.03

131.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 NT$22.11

$0.27 ¥1.81

159.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 NT$63.1

$0.99 ¥6.71

101.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 NT$84.6

$2.03 ¥13.74

32.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 NT$104

$1.75 ¥11.86

88.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 NT$61.1

$1.67 ¥11.31

15.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 NT$103

$0.97 ¥6.56

237.11%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$92.5

$1.54 ¥10.45

89.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.49 NT$553

$13.30 ¥89.9

31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 NT$288

$3.21 ¥21.69

183.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.47 NT$647

$10.79 ¥73.0

89.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 NT$153

$1.81 ¥12.27

167.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.5

$1.31 ¥8.84

96.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$91.7

$1.50 ¥10.15

93.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 NT$118

$1.14 ¥7.74

227.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 NT$90.2

$0.73 ¥4.90

290.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$70.9

$0.87 ¥5.86

157.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 NT$65.6

$0.57 ¥3.85

264.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$41.17

$0.54 ¥3.63

140.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 NT$132

$3.53 ¥23.88

18.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 NT$453

$11.71 ¥79.2

22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.5

$0.84 ¥5.67

104.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 NT$74.6

$1.67 ¥11.29

41.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$27.76

$0.41 ¥2.75

114.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.45 NT$1,310

$20.78 ¥141

99.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 NT$98.8

$1.36 ¥9.21

130.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.04

$0.33 ¥2.21

121.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NT$315

$6.86 ¥46.40

45.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.28

$1.12 ¥7.57

-6.25%

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

$37.0K NT$1.2M

$19.2K ¥129.8K

92.86%

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

$26.1K NT$824.6K

$16.9K ¥114.4K

54.16%

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

$83.4 NT$2,638

$51.8 ¥350

61.05%

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

$24.03 NT$759

$9.85 ¥66.6

143.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 NT$754

$11.13 ¥75.3

114.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.19 NT$1,239

$39.10 ¥264

0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.83 NT$374

$14.89 ¥101

-20.55%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 NT$349

$6.25 ¥42.24

76.80%

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

$556 NT$17.6K

$404 ¥2,732

37.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K NT$497.6K

$17.8K ¥120.5K

-11.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 NT$2,145

$46.11 ¥312

47.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.79 NT$1,036

$32.27 ¥218

1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 NT$2,921

$72.7 ¥491

27.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NT$3,694

$72.9 ¥493

60.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 NT$17.1K

$445 ¥3,009

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 NT$11.8K

$255 ¥1,727

46.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 NT$37.3K

$927 ¥6,266

27.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$867 NT$27.4K

$532 ¥3,600

62.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,333 NT$295.0K

$4,943 ¥33.4K

88.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,081 NT$192.2K

$2,492 ¥16.9K

144.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,757 NT$55.5K

$1,057 ¥7,148

66.22%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for China: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $451 in Taiwan, $286 in China. Capital cities: $782 in Taipei vs $913 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $1,918 in Taiwan, $862 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 58% higher in Taiwan.

Dining out costs 48% more in Taiwan.

Public transport is 117% more expensive in Taiwan.

Salaries are 123% higher in Taiwan, giving Taiwan stronger purchasing power.

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 $871 per month in China and $1,187 in Taiwan, there's a 36% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.