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: $1,103 in Taoyuan versus $1,159 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,715 in Taoyuan versus $1,912 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,328 in Taoyuan versus $2,666 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Taoyuan costs roughly 5% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Taoyuan 17% lower, Kaohsiung 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.13 NT$166

$4.16 NT$135

23.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.22 NT$816

$34.09 NT$1,103

-26.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 NT$198

$5.46 NT$176

12.09%

Cappuccino

$2.78 NT$89.9

$2.99 NT$96.6

-7.02%

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

$1.24 NT$39.97

$1.03 NT$33.25

20.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$25.09

$0.72 NT$23.29

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 NT$52.6

$1.66 NT$53.8

-1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$77.6

$2.77 NT$89.6

-13.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.29 NT$106

$3.54 NT$115

-7.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 NT$45.25

$2.07 NT$66.8

-32.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 NT$77.3

$2.60 NT$84.1

-8.08%

Eggs

$2.29 NT$74.2

$3.32 NT$108

-31.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 NT$299

$15.78 NT$510

-41.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 NT$261

$9.24 NT$299

-12.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 NT$512

$17.93 NT$580

-11.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 NT$107

$5.99 NT$194

-44.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.6

$2.59 NT$83.7

-26.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$88.3

$2.78 NT$90.1

-1.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$96.8

$4.03 NT$130

-25.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 NT$76.1

$2.98 NT$96.5

-21.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 NT$60.8

$2.24 NT$72.6

-16.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 NT$82.6

$1.92 NT$62.0

32.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.43

$1.14 NT$37.02

-20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 NT$206

$4.34 NT$141

46.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 NT$345

$15.18 NT$491

-29.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 NT$58.7

$1.65 NT$53.5

9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 NT$76.5

$2.45 NT$79.4

-3.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 NT$21.45

$0.81 NT$26.20

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.94 NT$1,292

$27.16 NT$879

47.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 NT$97.9

$2.94 NT$94.9

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 NT$23.43

$0.73 NT$23.59

-1.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 NT$266

$6.03 NT$195

36.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.27

$1.07 NT$34.59

-0.93%

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

$36.1K NT$1.2M

$34.2K NT$1.1M

5.75%

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

$26.9K NT$870.3K

$25.7K NT$832.9K

4.49%

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

$66.4 NT$2,146

$105 NT$3,396

-36.81%

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

$29.10 NT$941

$25.44 NT$823

14.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.97 NT$614

$24.82 NT$803

-23.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.03 NT$1,198

$38.49 NT$1,245

-3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 NT$325

$11.37 NT$368

-11.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 NT$328

$10.36 NT$335

-2.03%

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

$582 NT$18.8K

$427 NT$13.8K

36.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K NT$499.7K

$11.3K NT$364.6K

37.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.3 NT$2,630

$95.0 NT$3,072

-14.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.97 NT$776

$36.22 NT$1,172

-33.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 NT$2,725

$89.4 NT$2,891

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,331

$103 NT$3,322

0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 NT$13.5K

$448 NT$14.5K

-6.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 NT$11.4K

$280 NT$9,046

25.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 NT$26.9K

$925 NT$29.9K

-10.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 NT$19.4K

$690 NT$22.3K

-13.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,335 NT$237.3K

$4,510 NT$145.9K

62.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,640 NT$150.1K

$3,159 NT$102.2K

46.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,505 NT$48.7K

$1,463 NT$47.3K

2.92%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Taoyuan and $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taoyuan pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Taoyuan vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $382 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 5% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $1,159 including rent). Taoyuan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $418 in Taoyuan versus $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $582 in Taoyuan versus $427 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 $1,103 in Taoyuan versus $1,159 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 5% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.