Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and Pakistan Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and Pakistan

Name: Pakistan
Address: PK

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,079 in Taiwan versus $450 in Pakistan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,780 in Taiwan versus $678 in Pakistan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,481 in Taiwan versus $905 in Pakistan.

Living in Taiwan is roughly 140% more expensive than in Pakistan on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Taiwan 22% lower, Pakistan 67% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Taiwan: monthly costs span $788 to $1,376, compared to $296–$604 in Pakistan. City choice carries more weight in Taiwan.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.82 NT$153

$2.10 PKR 581

129.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.88 NT$1,008

$14.51 PKR 4,021

119.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.47 NT$173

$5.53 PKR 1,533

-1.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 PKR 594

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 PKR 1,120

Cappuccino

$3.06 NT$96.9

$2.04 PKR 564

50.00%

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

$1.03 NT$32.42

$0.38 PKR 105

171.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 NT$22.22

$0.24 PKR 66.7

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 NT$60.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$79.7

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 NT$99.4

$0.85 PKR 235

269.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NT$61.8

$0.63 PKR 174

211.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 NT$97.7

$1.22 PKR 339

153.28%

Eggs

$2.65 NT$83.8

$1.22 PKR 337

117.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.41 NT$582

$5.79 PKR 1,603

217.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 NT$271

$2.90 PKR 803

195.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 NT$645

$5.08 PKR 1,407

301.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 NT$153

$1.13 PKR 313

327.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.6

$0.69 PKR 191

301.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 NT$92.0

$0.84 PKR 232

246.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 NT$121

$0.57 PKR 159

573.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.8

$0.34 PKR 95.0

744.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 NT$74.9

$0.42 PKR 116

464.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 NT$69.0

$0.34 PKR 95.1

541.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$36.46

$0.41 PKR 113

180.49%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.04 PKR 566

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 PKR 299

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 PKR 644

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$2.14 PKR 594

86.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 NT$393

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$52.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NT$69.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.63

$0.18 PKR 48.48

261.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.61 NT$1,221

$9.87 PKR 2,736

291.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$88.7

$0.91 PKR 252

208.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$25.34

$0.52 PKR 144

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.70 NT$307

$2.17 PKR 601

347.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$31.90

$1.22 PKR 337

-17.21%

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

$34.1K NT$1.1M

$18.3K PKR 5.1M

86.37%

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

$24.7K NT$782.3K

$25.4K PKR 7.0M

-2.79%

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

$86.6 NT$2,739

$108 PKR 30.0K

-20.07%

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

$17.95 NT$568

$5.35 PKR 1,481

235.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.39 NT$771

$15.67 PKR 4,340

55.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.66 NT$1,191

$15.93 PKR 4,412

136.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.92 NT$377

$10.70 PKR 2,964

11.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 NT$325

$4.41 PKR 1,222

132.88%

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

$555 NT$17.5K

$42.68 PKR 11.8K

1199.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K NT$501.8K

$1,343 PKR 372.0K

1081.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 NT$2,013

$15.94 PKR 4,417

299.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.77 NT$1,068

$23.78 PKR 6,589

42.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 NT$2,655

$78.7 PKR 21.8K

6.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NT$3,315

$33.79 PKR 9,361

210.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 NT$16.4K

$134 PKR 37.1K

285.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 NT$10.1K

$77.9 PKR 21.6K

310.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 NT$35.8K

$309 PKR 85.5K

266.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 NT$25.3K

$172 PKR 47.7K

365.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,215 NT$259.8K

$1,017 PKR 281.8K

707.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,646 NT$178.6K

$522 PKR 144.5K

982.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,738 NT$55.0K

$185 PKR 51.2K

840.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

13.96

-82.66%

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

Last update for Taiwan: September 5, 2026

Last update for Pakistan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $433 in Taiwan, $122 in Pakistan. Capital cities: $907 in Taipei vs $270 in Islamabad.

National salary averages: $1,922 in Taiwan, $181 in Pakistan. 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 146% more in Taiwan.

Public transport is 233% more expensive in Taiwan.

Salaries are 962% 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 Pakistan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $450 per month in Pakistan and $1,082 in Taiwan, there's a 140% 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 Pakistan: 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 Pakistan across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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