Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and India Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and India

Name: India
Address: IN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in Taiwan versus $388 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,895 in Taiwan versus $617 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,647 in Taiwan versus $846 in India.

Living in Taiwan is roughly 195% more expensive than in India on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Taiwan 14% lower, India 71% lower.

Taiwan ($887–$1,497) and India ($265–$913) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 NT$167

$2.53 ₹244

103.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.27 NT$1,109

$13.73 ₹1,322

149.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 NT$180

$4.00 ₹385

38.75%

Cappuccino

$3.18 NT$103

$1.91 ₹184

66.49%

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

$1.05 NT$33.98

$0.43 ₹41.85

144.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 NT$22.51

$0.17 ₹16.11

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 NT$66.3

$1.93 ₹186

6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 NT$89.1

$3.54 ₹341

-22.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.34 NT$108

$0.73 ₹69.9

357.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$64.2

$0.52 ₹50.1

280.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 NT$107

$0.73 ₹69.9

352.05%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$94.1

$0.95 ₹91.4

206.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 NT$560

$5.32 ₹512

225.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 NT$290

$3.10 ₹299

189.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.20 NT$654

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 NT$158

$2.16 ₹208

126.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 NT$83.3

$0.70 ₹67.7

267.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 NT$90.1

$1.05 ₹101

164.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 NT$120

$0.53 ₹50.8

600.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$90.7

$0.39 ₹37.66

617.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 NT$75.0

$0.48 ₹46.64

383.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NT$70.4

$0.52 ₹49.78

317.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 NT$41.00

$0.36 ₹34.33

252.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 NT$137

$4.02 ₹387

5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 NT$459

$7.28 ₹701

94.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$56.1

$1.90 ₹183

-8.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$79.3

$3.03 ₹292

-19.14%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.79

$0.36 ₹34.66

147.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.24 NT$1,335

$9.84 ₹948

319.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 NT$95.9

$0.95 ₹91.8

211.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$25.36

$0.30 ₹29.03

160.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NT$333

$1.79 ₹172

474.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$33.11

$1.21 ₹117

-15.70%

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

$36.6K NT$1.2M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

163.97%

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

$26.6K NT$859.7K

$22.4K ₹2.2M

18.35%

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

$83.2 NT$2,692

$40.16 ₹3,867

107.15%

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

$24.27 NT$785

$3.76 ₹362

545.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.79 NT$770

$8.04 ₹774

195.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.75 NT$1,254

$16.25 ₹1,565

138.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.75 NT$380

$7.56 ₹728

55.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 NT$350

$3.43 ₹330

215.74%

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

$549 NT$17.8K

$69.7 ₹6,713

687.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K NT$505.3K

$1,852 ₹178.3K

743.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 NT$2,175

$25.59 ₹2,463

162.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 NT$1,072

$26.30 ₹2,532

25.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 NT$2,996

$44.89 ₹4,322

106.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 NT$3,868

$33.20 ₹3,197

259.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 NT$17.5K

$174 ₹16.8K

209.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 NT$12.1K

$112 ₹10.8K

233.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,154 NT$37.4K

$405 ₹39.0K

185.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 NT$27.8K

$258 ₹24.8K

233.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,033 NT$260.0K

$1,263 ₹121.6K

536.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,452 NT$176.5K

$653 ₹62.8K

735.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,758 NT$56.9K

$424 ₹40.8K

314.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.14

9.02

-76.27%

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

Last update for Taiwan: July 11, 2026

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $451 in Taiwan, $127 in India. Capital cities: $795 in Taipei vs $242 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,888 in Taiwan, $398 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 255% higher in Taiwan.

Dining out costs 182% more in Taiwan.

Public transport is 333% more expensive in Taiwan.

Salaries are 374% 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 India: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $589 per month in India and $1,192 in Taiwan, there's a 102% 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 India: 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 India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In India, $1,000 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: India wins on affordability; Taiwan may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.