Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Taoyuan: $1,200 a month against $1,372 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Taoyuan
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Taoyuan Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
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Almaty Living Index

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Taoyuan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,200

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taoyuan and in Almaty

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

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Taoyuan vs $1,372 in Almaty, rent included.

Taoyuan $1,200
Almaty $1,372

A couple spends around $1,816 per month in Taoyuan vs $2,142 in Almaty, rent included.

Taoyuan $1,816
Almaty $2,142

A family of three spends $2,433 per month in Taoyuan vs $2,913 in Almaty, rent included.

Taoyuan $2,433
Almaty $2,913

Taoyuan is about 13% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Taoyuan sits 11% below the global median, while Almaty is 2% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.23 NT$137

$13.16 ₸5,949

-67.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.93 NT$808

$44.86 ₸20.3K

-44.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 NT$186

$8.90 ₸4,022

-35.51%

Cappuccino

$2.97 NT$96.2

$3.25 ₸1,469

-8.62%

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

$1.02 NT$33.18

$1.41 ₸639

-27.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.97

$0.88 ₸399

-19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 NT$59.8

$3.35 ₸1,513

-45.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NT$74.6

$4.04 ₸1,827

-43.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 NT$92.2

$1.69 ₸762

68.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 NT$39.64

$0.86 ₸390

41.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 NT$86.5

$2.03 ₸917

31.53%

Eggs

$2.17 NT$70.4

$2.43 ₸1,100

-10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 NT$299

$12.46 ₸5,632

-26.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 NT$245

$6.71 ₸3,033

12.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.09 NT$684

$10.85 ₸4,905

94.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 NT$124

$1.80 ₸813

112.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 NT$66.8

$2.25 ₸1,018

-8.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NT$101

$2.91 ₸1,314

6.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 NT$101

$2.75 ₸1,243

12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NT$80.2

$0.75 ₸337

229.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 NT$65.9

$0.55 ₸248

269.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$75.6

$1.62 ₸732

43.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 NT$28.53

$1.05 ₸474

-16.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 NT$163

$2.58 ₸1,167

94.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 NT$353

$11.15 ₸5,042

-2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NT$46.45

$1.21 ₸547

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NT$69.9

$2.44 ₸1,104

-11.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 NT$17.81

$0.26 ₸117

111.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.07 NT$1,234

$22.03 ₸9,957

72.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 NT$88.8

$1.35 ₸611

102.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.51

$0.64 ₸288

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 NT$227

$11.16 ₸5,044

-37.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.37

$0.72 ₸324

38.89%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$22.5K ₸10.2M

45.79%

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

$23.3K NT$755.7K

$30.3K ₸13.7M

-23.01%

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

$69.5 NT$2,252

$91.8 ₸41.5K

-24.34%

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

$17.72 NT$574

$10.66 ₸4,820

66.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.93 NT$711

$17.86 ₸8,072

22.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.59 NT$1,089

$70.3 ₸31.8K

-52.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.07 NT$229

$27.60 ₸12.5K

-74.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.94 NT$355

$6.78 ₸3,064

61.36%

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

$517 NT$16.8K

$449 ₸202.9K

15.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K NT$1.0M

$12.1K ₸5.5M

158.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 NT$2,959

$89.9 ₸40.7K

1.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.83 NT$805

$47.02 ₸21.3K

-47.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 NT$2,655

$142 ₸64.1K

-42.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 NT$3,119

$133 ₸60.0K

-27.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 NT$20.9K

$805 ₸363.7K

-19.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 NT$14.1K

$500 ₸225.9K

-12.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 NT$31.2K

$1,429 ₸645.9K

-32.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NT$23.6K

$904 ₸408.8K

-19.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,498 NT$243.2K

$2,503 ₸1.1M

199.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 NT$155.1K

$1,559 ₸704.7K

206.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,549 NT$50.2K

$870 ₸393.3K

77.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.38

20.65

-88.47%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taoyuan

$436 36.3%

Almaty

$500 36.4% 14.6% $64

Groceries & Markets

Taoyuan

$313 26.1%

Almaty

$250 18.3% 20% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Taoyuan

$132 11%

Almaty

$185 13.5% 39.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taoyuan

$109 9.1%

Almaty

$120 8.8% 10.3% $11

Eating Out

Taoyuan

$107 9%

Almaty

$205 14.9% 90.9% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Taoyuan

$55 4.6%

Almaty

$84 6.1% 51.2% $28

Getting Around

Taoyuan

$47 3.9%

Almaty

$28 2% 41% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $646 in Taoyuan versus $805 in Almaty. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 78% higher in Taoyuan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Taoyuan versus $45.00 in Almaty. Groceries tell a different story – $313 in Taoyuan vs $250 in Almaty – so Almaty wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taoyuan

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

07:25 7:25 AM

2 h behind Taoyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,147,763

1,475,400

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taoyuan Almaty 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Taoyuan
Almaty

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

Taoyuan vs Almaty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Taoyuan and $2,058 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taoyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Taoyuan and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,200 in Taoyuan and $1,372 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taoyuan, where all-in costs run around $1,200, than in Almaty at $1,372. In Taoyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taoyuan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Taoyuan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.