Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Taoyuan: $1,200 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Taoyuan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,200

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taoyuan and in Seoul

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 Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Taoyuan vs $1,794 in Seoul, rent included.

Taoyuan $1,200
Seoul $1,794

A couple spends around $1,816 per month in Taoyuan vs $2,863 in Seoul, rent included.

Taoyuan $1,816
Seoul $2,863

A family of three spends $2,433 per month in Taoyuan vs $3,931 in Seoul, rent included.

Taoyuan $2,433
Seoul $3,931

Taoyuan is about 33% cheaper than Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Taoyuan sits 11% below the global median, while Seoul is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.23 NT$137

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-51.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.93 NT$808

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-63.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 NT$186

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-23.87%

Cappuccino

$2.97 NT$96.2

$4.23 ₩5,624

-29.79%

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

$1.02 NT$33.18

$1.63 ₩2,167

-37.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.97

$0.74 ₩985

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 NT$59.8

$3.64 ₩4,843

-49.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 NT$74.6

$6.15 ₩8,175

-62.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.84 NT$92.2

$2.01 ₩2,679

41.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 NT$39.64

$3.13 ₩4,164

-61.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 NT$86.5

$4.32 ₩5,744

-38.19%

Eggs

$2.17 NT$70.4

$3.61 ₩4,794

-39.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 NT$299

$17.83 ₩23.7K

-48.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 NT$245

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-27.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.09 NT$684

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-18.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 NT$124

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 NT$66.8

$3.38 ₩4,499

-39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 NT$101

$5.81 ₩7,723

-46.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 NT$101

$6.41 ₩8,520

-51.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 NT$80.2

$3.75 ₩4,983

-34.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 NT$65.9

$2.54 ₩3,375

-20.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$75.6

$2.84 ₩3,782

-17.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 NT$28.53

$1.11 ₩1,472

-20.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.02 NT$163

$3.35 ₩4,455

49.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 NT$353

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-41.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NT$46.45

$2.40 ₩3,185

-40.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 NT$69.9

$3.37 ₩4,480

-35.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 NT$17.81

$1.14 ₩1,521

-51.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.07 NT$1,234

$46.11 ₩61.3K

-17.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 NT$88.8

$3.49 ₩4,643

-21.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.51

$0.63 ₩840

20.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.99 NT$227

$8.86 ₩11.8K

-21.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.37

$1.51 ₩2,005

-33.77%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

12.17%

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

$23.3K NT$755.7K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-17.39%

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

$69.5 NT$2,252

$218 ₩289.2K

-68.07%

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

$17.72 NT$574

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-49.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.93 NT$711

$21.29 ₩28.3K

3.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.59 NT$1,089

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-42.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.07 NT$229

$16.10 ₩21.4K

-56.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.94 NT$355

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-3.27%

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

$517 NT$16.8K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-73.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K NT$1.0M

$22.9K ₩30.4M

36.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 NT$2,959

$57.0 ₩75.8K

59.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.83 NT$805

$33.39 ₩44.4K

-25.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 NT$2,655

$71.5 ₩95.0K

14.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 NT$3,119

$82.5 ₩109.7K

16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 NT$20.9K

$901 ₩1.2M

-28.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 NT$14.1K

$612 ₩813.5K

-28.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$964 NT$31.2K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-61.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 NT$23.6K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-42.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,498 NT$243.2K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-74.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,782 NT$155.1K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-59.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,549 NT$50.2K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-57.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.38

4.08

-41.67%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taoyuan

$436 36.3%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 40.3% $176

Groceries & Markets

Taoyuan

$313 26.1%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 52.4% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Taoyuan

$132 11%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 16.9% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taoyuan

$109 9.1%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 151% $165

Eating Out

Taoyuan

$107 9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 71.2% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Taoyuan

$55 4.6%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 45.5% $25

Getting Around

Taoyuan

$47 3.9%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 22.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $646 in Taoyuan versus $901 in Seoul. 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 136% higher in Seoul, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Taoyuan versus $68.0 in Seoul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $477 – making Taoyuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taoyuan

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

1 h ahead of Taoyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,147,763

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KRW, 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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Taoyuan Seoul 1,500 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Taoyuan
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul costs about 50% more than Taoyuan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Taoyuan and $2,692 in Seoul. 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.

Public transport costs about 21% less in Taoyuan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $517 per month in Taoyuan and $1,948 in Seoul. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taoyuan, where all-in costs run around $1,200, than in Seoul at $1,794. In Taoyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seoul 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, Seoul makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.