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: $1,107 in Taoyuan versus $1,188 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,706 in Taoyuan versus $1,951 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,305 in Taoyuan versus $2,714 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taoyuan costs roughly 7% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taoyuan 18% lower, Kaohsiung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.00 NT$158

$4.05 NT$128

23.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.74 NT$814

$34.24 NT$1,082

-24.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 NT$190

$5.51 NT$174

9.26%

Cappuccino

$2.83 NT$89.6

$3.09 NT$97.8

-8.41%

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

$1.23 NT$38.97

$0.97 NT$30.78

26.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.25

$0.71 NT$22.50

8.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 NT$51.6

$1.66 NT$52.4

-1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 NT$74.5

$2.73 NT$86.2

-13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.30 NT$104

$3.50 NT$110

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 NT$43.61

$2.00 NT$63.3

-31.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 NT$79.4

$2.61 NT$82.4

-3.83%

Eggs

$2.29 NT$72.4

$3.33 NT$105

-31.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 NT$287

$16.02 NT$506

-43.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 NT$248

$9.41 NT$297

-16.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$18.01 NT$569

-11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 NT$100

$6.17 NT$195

-48.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 NT$60.4

$2.56 NT$81.1

-25.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 NT$83.7

$2.84 NT$89.9

-6.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 NT$95.7

$3.99 NT$126

-24.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 NT$75.6

$3.01 NT$95.1

-20.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 NT$57.9

$2.13 NT$67.2

-14.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NT$79.9

$1.85 NT$58.6

36.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 NT$29.49

$1.19 NT$37.52

-21.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 NT$199

$4.38 NT$139

43.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 NT$356

$15.51 NT$490

-27.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NT$57.6

$1.72 NT$54.3

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$74.4

$2.46 NT$77.7

-4.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 NT$20.79

$0.82 NT$25.79

-19.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.47 NT$1,311

$26.56 NT$840

56.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 NT$94.0

$2.94 NT$92.9

1.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.13

$0.78 NT$24.73

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 NT$250

$6.28 NT$198

26.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.46

$1.03 NT$32.71

2.91%

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

$36.9K NT$1.2M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

8.75%

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

$26.4K NT$833.4K

$25.7K NT$811.1K

2.76%

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

$64.3 NT$2,032

$102 NT$3,225

-36.98%

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

$29.32 NT$927

$25.18 NT$796

16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.22 NT$607

$25.61 NT$810

-24.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.56 NT$1,187

$39.43 NT$1,246

-4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 NT$322

$11.15 NT$352

-8.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.22 NT$323

$10.08 NT$319

1.39%

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

$579 NT$18.3K

$428 NT$13.5K

35.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K NT$483.8K

$11.5K NT$362.7K

33.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NT$2,533

$95.0 NT$3,004

-15.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.42 NT$740

$36.01 NT$1,138

-34.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 NT$2,639

$89.3 NT$2,824

-6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,185

$101 NT$3,191

-0.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$443 NT$14.0K

-2.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 NT$11.1K

$281 NT$8,897

25.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 NT$26.5K

$950 NT$30.0K

-11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$599 NT$18.9K

$682 NT$21.6K

-12.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,660 NT$242.1K

$4,584 NT$144.9K

67.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,716 NT$149.1K

$3,194 NT$101.0K

47.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,557 NT$49.2K

$1,503 NT$47.5K

3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

2.3

-31.74%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Taoyuan and $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Taoyuan vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $385 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $1,188 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Taoyuan pays 4% more on average, 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: $432 in Taoyuan versus $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Taoyuan versus $428 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,107 in Taoyuan versus $1,188 in Kaohsiung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taoyuan but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Taoyuan 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 Taoyuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.