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 $1,895 per month in Taiwan vs $3,471 in United Kingdom, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,647 per month in Taiwan vs $4,579 in United Kingdom, rent included.

The cost of living in Taiwan is roughly 52% lower than in United Kingdom on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Taiwan sits 14% below the global median, while United Kingdom is 77% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,670$3,916) than in Taiwan ($887$1,497), so city choice matters more there.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.15 NT$167
$20.23 £15.04
-74.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.27 NT$1,109
$88.3 £65.6
-61.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.55 NT$180
$10.35 £7.69
-46.38%
Cappuccino
$3.18 NT$103
$4.77 £3.55
-33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 NT$33.98
$2.44 £1.82
-56.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 NT$22.51
$1.73 £1.29
-59.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.05 NT$66.3
$6.85 £5.09
-70.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 NT$89.1
$6.52 £4.84
-57.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.34 NT$108
$1.66 £1.23
101.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.98 NT$64.2
$1.71 £1.27
15.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.30 NT$107
$2.21 £1.64
49.32%
Eggs
$2.91 NT$94.1
$4.09 £3.04
-28.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.30 NT$560
$9.52 £7.08
81.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.97 NT$290
$9.02 £6.71
-0.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.20 NT$654
$14.18 £10.54
42.45%
Apples (1kg)
$4.89 NT$158
$2.96 £2.20
65.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.57 NT$83.3
$1.68 £1.25
52.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.78 NT$90.1
$2.84 £2.11
-2.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.71 NT$120
$3.41 £2.53
8.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.80 NT$90.7
$1.69 £1.26
65.68%
Onion (1kg)
$2.32 NT$75.0
$1.58 £1.17
46.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.17 NT$70.4
$1.12 £0.84
93.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 NT$41.00
$1.53 £1.14
-16.99%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.24 NT$137
$20.16 £14.99
-78.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.17 NT$459
$10.47 £7.78
35.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 NT$56.1
$2.87 £2.14
-39.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 NT$79.3
$3.30 £2.45
-25.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 NT$28.79
$3.33 £2.48
-73.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.24 NT$1,335
$96.3 £71.6
-57.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.96 NT$95.9
$5.53 £4.11
-46.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 NT$25.36
$1.60 £1.19
-51.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.28 NT$333
$27.51 £20.45
-62.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 NT$33.11
$1.90 £1.41
-46.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.6K NT$1.2M
$38.1K £28.3K
-3.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K NT$859.7K
$41.0K £30.5K
-35.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.2 NT$2,692
$326 £242
-74.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.27 NT$785
$17.18 £12.77
41.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.79 NT$770
$42.96 £31.94
-44.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.75 NT$1,254
$45.94 £34.15
-15.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.75 NT$380
$15.87 £11.80
-25.96%
Cinema Ticket
$10.83 NT$350
$13.80 £10.26
-21.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$549 NT$17.8K
$1,723 £1,281
-68.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K NT$505.3K
$20.9K £15.5K
-25.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.2 NT$2,175
$90.3 £67.1
-25.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.12 NT$1,072
$44.39 £33.00
-25.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 NT$2,996
$103 £76.7
-10.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 NT$3,868
$103 £76.3
16.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$540 NT$17.5K
$1,419 £1,055
-61.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$375 NT$12.1K
$1,143 £850
-67.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,154 NT$37.4K
$2,298 £1,708
-49.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$860 NT$27.8K
$1,873 £1,392
-54.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,033 NT$260.0K
$5,728 £4,258
40.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,452 NT$176.5K
$4,339 £3,226
25.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taiwan
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,758 NT$56.9K
$3,264 £2,427
-46.15%
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: July 11, 2026

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $451 in Taiwan vs $1,266 in United Kingdom. For reference, capital cities sit at $795 in Taipei and $2,937 in London.

Average salary: $1,888 in Taiwan vs $3,192 in United Kingdom. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 181% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 171% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 136% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 69% 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
How do Taiwan and United Kingdom compare in cost of living?
Taiwan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 134% 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 134% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.
How far does $2,000 go in Taiwan compared to 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 in 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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