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: $1,079 in Taiwan versus $366 in India.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,780 in Taiwan versus $581 in India.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,481 in Taiwan versus $795 in India.

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

Both countries sit below the global median: Taiwan 22% lower, India 73% lower.

Taiwan ($788–$1,376) and India ($228–$810) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.82 NT$153

$2.15 ₹205

124.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.88 NT$1,008

$10.42 ₹996

205.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 NT$173

$3.59 ₹343

52.37%

Cappuccino

$3.06 NT$96.9

$1.67 ₹160

83.23%

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

$1.03 NT$32.42

$0.39 ₹37.26

164.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 NT$22.22

$0.17 ₹15.92

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 NT$60.8

$1.87 ₹179

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$79.7

$3.18 ₹304

-20.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 NT$99.4

$0.64 ₹61.1

390.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NT$61.8

$0.45 ₹42.66

335.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 NT$97.7

$0.63 ₹59.9

390.48%

Eggs

$2.65 NT$83.8

$0.87 ₹83.5

204.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.41 NT$582

$4.62 ₹442

298.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 NT$271

$2.86 ₹273

200.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 NT$645

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 NT$153

$1.95 ₹186

147.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.6

$0.67 ₹64.3

313.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NT$92.0

$0.99 ₹94.3

193.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 NT$121

$0.51 ₹48.45

652.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.8

$0.35 ₹33.23

720.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 NT$74.9

$0.42 ₹39.69

464.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 NT$69.0

$0.44 ₹41.87

395.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.46

$0.31 ₹29.80

270.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$5.14 ₹491

-22.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 NT$393

$7.58 ₹724

64.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.3

$1.67 ₹160

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NT$69.9

$2.79 ₹266

-20.79%

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

$5.36 ₹512

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.63

$0.25 ₹23.64

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.61 NT$1,221

$8.53 ₹815

352.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$88.7

$0.94 ₹89.4

198.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$25.34

$0.27 ₹25.96

196.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.70 NT$307

$1.60 ₹153

506.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$31.90

$1.12 ₹107

-9.82%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

174.17%

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

$24.7K NT$782.3K

$20.2K ₹1.9M

22.63%

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

$86.6 NT$2,739

$37.28 ₹3,562

132.27%

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

$17.95 NT$568

$3.49 ₹334

414.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.39 NT$771

$7.20 ₹688

238.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.66 NT$1,191

$14.69 ₹1,403

156.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 NT$377

$7.31 ₹698

63.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 NT$325

$3.08 ₹294

233.44%

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

$555 NT$17.5K

$59.1 ₹5,646

838.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K NT$501.8K

$1,693 ₹161.8K

836.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 NT$2,013

$23.25 ₹2,221

173.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.77 NT$1,068

$24.03 ₹2,296

40.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,655

$40.99 ₹3,917

104.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NT$3,315

$30.46 ₹2,911

244.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 NT$16.4K

$143 ₹13.7K

261.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 NT$10.1K

$93.2 ₹8,902

243.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 NT$35.8K

$332 ₹31.7K

241.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 NT$25.3K

$214 ₹20.4K

275.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,215 NT$259.8K

$1,203 ₹115.0K

582.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,646 NT$178.6K

$643 ₹61.5K

777.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,738 NT$55.0K

$441 ₹42.1K

293.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

8.93

-72.90%

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

Last update for Taiwan: September 5, 2026

Last update for India: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $433 in Taiwan, $121 in India. Capital cities: $907 in Taipei vs $272 in Delhi.

National salary averages: $1,922 in Taiwan, $410 in India. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 258% higher in Taiwan.

Dining out costs 220% more in Taiwan.

Public transport is 329% more expensive in Taiwan.

Salaries are 369% 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 $519 per month in India and $1,082 in Taiwan, there's a 108% 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.