Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Taoyuan versus $1,107 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,825 in Taoyuan versus $1,829 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,442 in Taoyuan versus $2,551 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taoyuan is roughly 9% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taoyuan 12% lower, Kaohsiung 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.46 NT$142

$5.50 NT$175

-18.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.81 NT$788

$32.11 NT$1,020

-22.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 NT$176

$4.83 NT$154

14.49%

Cappuccino

$3.04 NT$96.5

$2.81 NT$89.4

8.19%

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

$0.98 NT$31.08

$1.08 NT$34.42

-9.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.09

$0.67 NT$21.30

8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 NT$60.5

$1.48 NT$46.93

28.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$74.6

$2.55 NT$81.1

-7.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 NT$90.7

$3.25 NT$103

-12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 NT$39.23

$2.27 NT$72.2

-45.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 NT$83.5

$3.03 NT$96.3

-13.20%

Eggs

$2.11 NT$67.2

$2.69 NT$85.6

-21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 NT$291

$15.37 NT$489

-40.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 NT$238

$7.86 NT$250

-4.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.50 NT$683

$15.16 NT$482

41.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 NT$122

$6.54 NT$208

-41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 NT$64.3

$2.78 NT$88.4

-27.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NT$97.9

$2.52 NT$80.2

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 NT$100

$3.13 NT$99.3

0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 NT$79.4

$2.71 NT$86.1

-7.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 NT$63.1

$2.04 NT$64.8

-2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 NT$72.2

$2.35 NT$74.8

-3.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 NT$27.92

$1.07 NT$34.13

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 NT$161

$4.07 NT$129

24.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 NT$348

$15.91 NT$506

-31.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 NT$46.05

$1.59 NT$50.7

-8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$66.5

$2.15 NT$68.4

-2.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 NT$17.63

$0.75 NT$23.68

-26.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.88 NT$1,204

$12.42 NT$395

204.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 NT$91.5

$2.73 NT$86.7

5.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.61

$0.78 NT$24.77

-1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 NT$224

$5.73 NT$182

22.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.70

$1.06 NT$33.60

-5.66%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$33.2K NT$1.1M

2.33%

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

$23.5K NT$748.1K

$23.1K NT$734.5K

1.85%

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

$69.1 NT$2,195

$84.7 NT$2,690

-18.41%

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

$17.83 NT$566

$17.10 NT$543

4.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.30 NT$709

$25.77 NT$819

-13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.89 NT$1,077

$40.62 NT$1,291

-16.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.18 NT$228

$10.32 NT$328

-30.43%

Cinema Ticket

$11.07 NT$352

$10.95 NT$348

1.10%

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

$531 NT$16.9K

$474 NT$15.1K

12.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K NT$1.0M

$14.0K NT$443.6K

132.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 NT$2,907

$94.5 NT$3,002

-3.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.11 NT$798

$33.58 NT$1,067

-25.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 NT$2,629

$86.5 NT$2,749

-4.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 NT$3,067

$99.8 NT$3,170

-3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 NT$20.9K

$407 NT$12.9K

61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 NT$13.8K

$284 NT$9,027

53.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 NT$30.4K

$998 NT$31.7K

-4.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 NT$23.4K

$670 NT$21.3K

10.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,589 NT$241.2K

$4,684 NT$148.8K

62.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,683 NT$148.8K

$3,170 NT$100.7K

47.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,569 NT$49.8K

$1,439 NT$45.7K

8.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.56

-14.84%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Taoyuan and $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Taoyuan vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $363 per month, with Taoyuan cheaper across the board.

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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taoyuan and Kaohsiung differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $1,107 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Taoyuan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Taoyuan versus $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $531 in Taoyuan versus $474 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Taoyuan pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,209 in Taoyuan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Taoyuan. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Taoyuan and Kaohsiung are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Taoyuan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.