Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taiwan and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiwan: $1,164 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Taiwan
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Taiwan Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,164

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taiwan and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taiwan and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,164 per month in Taiwan vs $2,701 in the United States, rent included.

Taiwan $1,164
United States $2,701

A couple spends around $1,925 per month in Taiwan vs $3,980 in the United States, rent included.

Taiwan $1,925
United States $3,980

A family of three spends $2,685 per month in Taiwan vs $5,258 in the United States, rent included.

Taiwan $2,685
United States $5,258

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($980–$5,162) than in Taiwan ($778–$1,368), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Taiwan is roughly 57% lower than in the United States on average.

Taiwan sits 14% below the global median, while the United States is 100% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 NT$150

$19.92 $19.92

-76.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.80 NT$999

$81.0 $81.0

-61.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 NT$175

$12.07 $12.07

-55.34%

Cappuccino

$2.98 NT$96.8

$5.55 $5.55

-46.31%

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

$0.96 NT$31.23

$2.67 $2.67

-64.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$20.93

$2.09 $2.09

-68.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 NT$61.9

$5.96 $5.96

-67.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 NT$79.3

$7.76 $7.76

-68.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$100

$1.05 $1.05

195.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 NT$61.2

$3.55 $3.55

-46.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.0

$4.64 $4.64

-34.91%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.1

$4.18 $4.18

-34.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.32 NT$594

$12.76 $12.76

43.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 NT$286

$12.63 $12.63

-30.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.28 NT$658

$17.22 $17.22

17.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 NT$156

$5.15 $5.15

-6.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 NT$84.5

$1.64 $1.64

59.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 NT$95.6

$4.46 $4.46

-33.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 NT$121

$4.98 $4.98

-25.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NT$87.5

$2.84 $2.84

-4.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 NT$71.4

$3.09 $3.09

-28.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 NT$68.9

$2.19 $2.19

-3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NT$38.84

$2.27 $2.27

-47.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 NT$125

$10.61 $10.61

-63.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 NT$404

$14.71 $14.71

-15.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$54.2

$2.10 $2.10

-20.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NT$72.3

$3.82 $3.82

-41.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$21.22

$2.35 $2.35

-72.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.16 NT$1,205

$64.1 $64.1

-41.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$87.5

$3.57 $3.57

-24.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.69

$1.85 $1.85

-58.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.31 NT$302

$30.19 $30.19

-69.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.92

$1.07 $1.07

-1.87%

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

$33.1K NT$1.1M

$35.3K $35.3K

-6.12%

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

$24.3K NT$787.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

-6.26%

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

$85.9 NT$2,784

$217 $217

-60.36%

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

$17.55 NT$569

$61.4 $61.4

-71.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.51 NT$762

$74.4 $74.4

-68.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 NT$1,227

$45.08 $45.08

-16.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.01 NT$390

$23.07 $23.07

-47.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 NT$324

$14.79 $14.79

-32.45%

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

$556 NT$18.0K

$1,480 $1,480

-62.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K NT$526.4K

$25.5K $25.5K

-36.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 NT$2,086

$53.0 $53.0

21.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 NT$1,048

$42.75 $42.75

-24.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 NT$2,730

$94.3 $94.3

-10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,350

$115 $115

-10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 NT$16.4K

$1,678 $1,678

-69.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 NT$10.4K

$1,313 $1,313

-75.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 NT$36.2K

$2,649 $2,649

-57.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$785 NT$25.5K

$2,183 $2,183

-64.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,360 NT$271.1K

$3,374 $3,374

147.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,346 NT$173.4K

$2,661 $2,661

100.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 NT$56.3K

$4,404 $4,404

-60.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.45

6.55

-62.60%

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

Last update for Taiwan: October 11, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Taiwan

$376 32.3%

United States

$411 15.2% 9.3% $35

Accommodation & Living

Taiwan

$320 27.5%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 311% $994

Clothing & Footwear

Taiwan

$128 11%

United States

$137 5.1% 7.5% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taiwan

$127 10.9%

United States

$352 13% 178% $225

Eating Out

Taiwan

$110 9.4%

United States

$327 12.1% 197% $217

Sport & Entertainment

Taiwan

$58 5%

United States

$75 2.8% 29.1% $17

Getting Around

Taiwan

$46 4%

United States

$86 3.2% 86.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $431 in Taiwan vs $1,609 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $999 in Taipei and $2,730 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $1,903 in Taiwan vs $4,533 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 273% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 134% more in the United States.

Salaries are 138% higher in the United States.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taiwan

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

07:18 7:18 AM

12 h behind Taiwan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,409,323

340,110,988

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taiwan United States 12,630 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Taiwan
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiwan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 132% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 versus $431 in Taiwan.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Taiwan, but in the United States 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.