Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and United Kingdom Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and United Kingdom

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,143 per month in Taiwan vs $2,363 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in Taiwan vs $3,474 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,656 per month in Taiwan vs $4,585 in United Kingdom, rent included.

Taiwan is roughly 52% cheaper than United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Taiwan sits 15% below the global median, while United Kingdom is 76% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

United Kingdom has a wider regional cost range ($1,678$3,892) than Taiwan ($899$1,494), so location matters more when choosing where to live in United Kingdom.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.10 NT$161
$20.41 £15.17
-75.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.68 NT$1,060
$87.0 £64.7
-61.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.37 NT$169
$10.13 £7.53
-46.99%
Cappuccino
$3.24 NT$102
$4.70 £3.49
-31.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 NT$33.00
$2.36 £1.75
-55.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.75 NT$23.61
$1.76 £1.30
-57.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.00 NT$63.0
$6.66 £4.95
-69.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 NT$83.9
$6.43 £4.78
-58.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.18 NT$100
$1.70 £1.27
87.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.92 NT$60.3
$1.63 £1.21
17.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 NT$103
$2.29 £1.70
42.36%
Eggs
$2.99 NT$94.3
$4.03 £2.99
-25.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.67 NT$556
$9.77 £7.26
80.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.11 NT$287
$8.92 £6.63
2.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.26 NT$638
$14.31 £10.64
41.58%
Apples (1kg)
$4.95 NT$156
$3.05 £2.26
62.30%
Banana (1kg)
$2.57 NT$81.0
$1.61 £1.19
59.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.86 NT$90.0
$2.84 £2.11
0.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.76 NT$118
$3.53 £2.62
6.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.95 NT$92.7
$1.61 £1.19
83.23%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 NT$73.0
$1.57 £1.17
47.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.17 NT$68.2
$1.17 £0.87
85.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 NT$41.47
$1.56 £1.16
-15.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.22 NT$133
$20.03 £14.89
-78.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.28 NT$450
$10.90 £8.10
31.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72 NT$54.1
$2.90 £2.16
-40.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 NT$77.2
$3.38 £2.51
-27.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 NT$26.19
$3.17 £2.35
-73.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.97 NT$1,258
$95.2 £70.8
-58.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 NT$94.4
$5.45 £4.05
-44.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 NT$24.49
$1.59 £1.18
-50.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.07 NT$317
$27.31 £20.30
-63.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 NT$31.77
$1.99 £1.48
-49.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.6K NT$1.2M
$37.8K £28.1K
-3.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K NT$841.9K
$40.2K £29.9K
-33.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.7 NT$2,665
$323 £240
-73.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.12 NT$759
$17.22 £12.80
40.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.17 NT$761
$42.23 £31.39
-42.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.05 NT$1,229
$46.03 £34.21
-15.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.63 NT$366
$15.67 £11.65
-25.78%
Cinema Ticket
$10.94 NT$344
$13.48 £10.02
-18.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$551 NT$17.3K
$1,713 £1,274
-67.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.8K NT$497.8K
$20.8K £15.5K
-24.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 NT$2,109
$91.3 £67.8
-26.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.52 NT$1,055
$44.88 £33.36
-25.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.7 NT$2,886
$102 £75.9
-10.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 NT$3,727
$104 £77.3
13.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$528 NT$16.6K
$1,417 £1,053
-62.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$365 NT$11.5K
$1,132 £841
-67.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,199 NT$37.7K
$2,308 £1,715
-48.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$854 NT$26.9K
$1,839 £1,367
-53.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,308 NT$293.0K
$5,727 £4,257
62.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,104 NT$192.1K
$4,523 £3,362
34.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,740 NT$54.8K
$3,333 £2,477
-47.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.14
5.75
-62.78%

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

Last update for Taiwan: June 2, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $452 in Taiwan vs $1,265 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $789 in Taipei and $3,019 in London.

Average salary: $1,916 in Taiwan vs $3,219 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 180% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 171% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 145% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 68% higher in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Taiwan and United Kingdom compare in cost of living?
Taiwan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 133% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.
How do rents compare between Taiwan and United Kingdom?
Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.
Where are groceries and transport cheaper: Taiwan or United Kingdom?
Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Taiwan, contributing to the overall 133% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
How far does $2,000 go in Taiwan vs United Kingdom?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Taiwan, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Taiwan and United Kingdom?
Taiwan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Taiwan vs other spots: cost of living compared

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