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

Name: United Kingdom
Address: GB

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,072 per month in Taiwan vs $2,412 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,760 per month in Taiwan vs $3,533 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,447 per month in Taiwan vs $4,653 in United Kingdom, rent included.

The cost of living in Taiwan is roughly 56% lower than in United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Taiwan sits 22% below the global median, while United Kingdom is 76% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,118–$4,221) than in Taiwan ($786–$1,371), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 NT$149

$21.35 £15.80

-77.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.66 NT$1,003

$87.2 £64.5

-63.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.42 NT$172

$10.72 £7.94

-49.44%

Cappuccino

$3.00 NT$94.9

$4.79 £3.54

-37.37%

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

$1.02 NT$32.25

$2.57 £1.90

-60.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.57

$1.82 £1.35

-64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 NT$58.4

$6.61 £4.89

-72.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 NT$78.6

$6.90 £5.11

-64.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 NT$96.1

$1.68 £1.25

80.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NT$61.8

$1.76 £1.30

10.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NT$99.7

$2.28 £1.69

38.16%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$82.9

$4.09 £3.03

-35.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.91 NT$567

$9.88 £7.31

81.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 NT$283

$9.44 £6.98

-5.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.85 NT$660

$14.89 £11.02

40.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 NT$147

$2.97 £2.20

56.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NT$83.3

$1.69 £1.25

55.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$94.9

$2.80 £2.07

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 NT$121

$3.48 £2.57

9.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NT$85.6

$1.77 £1.31

52.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 NT$71.7

$1.66 £1.23

36.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 NT$66.3

$1.22 £0.90

71.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NT$38.41

$1.71 £1.27

-29.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 NT$128

$23.99 £17.75

-83.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.77 NT$404

$11.05 £8.18

15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.0

$3.07 £2.28

-46.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 NT$72.1

$3.36 £2.49

-32.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 NT$19.16

$3.34 £2.47

-82.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.56 NT$1,190

$103 £76.4

-63.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 NT$87.8

$5.30 £3.92

-47.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$25.95

$2.16 £1.60

-62.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.73 NT$308

$27.14 £20.08

-64.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.66

$1.95 £1.44

-48.72%

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

$33.7K NT$1.1M

$39.5K £29.2K

-14.53%

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

$23.7K NT$751.4K

$40.8K £30.2K

-41.92%

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

$85.2 NT$2,698

$326 £241

-73.89%

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

$17.55 NT$556

$18.25 £13.51

-3.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.21 NT$767

$42.65 £31.56

-43.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 NT$1,214

$46.53 £34.43

-17.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.61 NT$368

$18.19 £13.46

-36.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 NT$317

$13.50 £9.99

-25.85%

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

$559 NT$17.7K

$1,734 £1,283

-67.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K NT$516.6K

$23.3K £17.3K

-30.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 NT$2,048

$91.6 £67.8

-29.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.32 NT$1,055

$46.91 £34.71

-28.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 NT$2,626

$106 £78.3

-21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,264

$101 £74.8

1.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 NT$16.5K

$1,365 £1,010

-61.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 NT$9,887

$1,108 £820

-71.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NT$36.1K

$2,209 £1,635

-48.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 NT$25.0K

$1,779 £1,317

-55.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,109 NT$256.8K

$5,624 £4,162

44.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,595 NT$177.2K

$4,390 £3,249

27.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,747 NT$55.3K

$3,384 £2,504

-48.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.42

5.32

-54.51%

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

Last update for Taiwan: August 30, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $422 in Taiwan vs $1,296 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $866 in Taipei and $3,001 in London.

Average salary: $1,903 in Taiwan vs $3,270 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 207% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 166% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 197% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 72% higher in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiwan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 148% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Taiwan, contributing to the overall 148% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$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.

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.