Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taoyuan and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Taoyuan: $1,200 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Taoyuan
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$1,200
/mo nomad
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,152
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taoyuan and in Sydney

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

A single person spends $1,200 per month in Taoyuan vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Taoyuan $1,200
  • Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $1,816 per month in Taoyuan vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Taoyuan $1,816
  • Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $2,433 per month in Taoyuan vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Taoyuan $2,433
  • Sydney $6,268

Taoyuan is about 62% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Taoyuan sits 11% below the global median, while Sydney is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.23 NT$137
$17.57 A$25.29
-75.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.93 NT$808
$91.5 A$132
-72.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.74 NT$186
$11.96 A$17.21
-52.01%
Cappuccino
$2.97 NT$96.2
$4.07 A$5.85
-27.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 NT$33.18
$2.85 A$4.10
-64.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 NT$22.97
$2.25 A$3.24
-68.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.84 NT$59.8
$7.60 A$10.94
-75.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 NT$74.6
$7.43 A$10.69
-69.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.84 NT$92.2
$1.66 A$2.38
71.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.22 NT$39.64
$2.78 A$4.00
-56.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.67 NT$86.5
$2.42 A$3.49
10.33%
Eggs
$2.17 NT$70.4
$5.64 A$8.12
-61.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.22 NT$299
$11.71 A$16.85
-21.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.55 NT$245
$9.66 A$13.89
-21.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.09 NT$684
$16.75 A$24.10
25.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.83 NT$124
$4.07 A$5.85
-5.90%
Banana (1kg)
$2.06 NT$66.8
$3.25 A$4.68
-36.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.11 NT$101
$3.44 A$4.96
-9.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.10 NT$101
$4.28 A$6.16
-27.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.47 NT$80.2
$3.28 A$4.72
-24.70%
Onion (1kg)
$2.03 NT$65.9
$2.30 A$3.30
-11.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.33 NT$75.6
$2.30 A$3.31
1.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.88 NT$28.53
$1.21 A$1.74
-27.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.02 NT$163
$43.71 A$62.9
-88.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.89 NT$353
$13.88 A$19.97
-21.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 NT$46.45
$3.90 A$5.62
-63.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.16 NT$69.9
$3.91 A$5.63
-44.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 NT$17.81
$3.04 A$4.38
-81.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.07 NT$1,234
$150 A$216
-74.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.74 NT$88.8
$3.38 A$4.86
-18.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.76 NT$24.51
$1.56 A$2.24
-51.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.99 NT$227
$40.01 A$57.6
-82.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 NT$32.37
$1.40 A$2.01
-28.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K NT$1.1M
$29.1K A$41.9K
12.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K NT$755.7K
$30.1K A$43.4K
-22.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$69.5 NT$2,252
$223 A$320
-68.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.72 NT$574
$27.16 A$39.08
-34.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.93 NT$711
$55.8 A$80.3
-60.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.59 NT$1,089
$74.6 A$107
-54.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.07 NT$229
$23.99 A$34.52
-70.53%
Cinema Ticket
$10.94 NT$355
$17.56 A$25.27
-37.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$517 NT$16.8K
$2,196 A$3,160
-76.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.3K NT$1.0M
$28.2K A$40.6K
11.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.3 NT$2,959
$78.4 A$113
16.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.83 NT$805
$68.4 A$98.5
-63.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.9 NT$2,655
$111 A$160
-26.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.2 NT$3,119
$134 A$193
-28.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$646 NT$20.9K
$2,500 A$3,598
-74.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$436 NT$14.1K
$1,709 A$2,460
-74.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$964 NT$31.2K
$4,946 A$7,117
-80.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$729 NT$23.6K
$3,022 A$4,349
-75.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,498 NT$243.2K
$13.2K A$18.9K
-43.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,782 NT$155.1K
$8,370 A$12.0K
-42.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taoyuan
Sydney
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,549 NT$50.2K
$4,113 A$5,919
-62.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.38
5.84
-59.25%

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

Last update for Taoyuan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Taoyuan
$436
Sydney
$1.7K 292% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Taoyuan
$313
Sydney
$379 21% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Taoyuan
$132
Sydney
$177 33.4% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taoyuan
$109
Sydney
$306 180% $196
Eating Out
Taoyuan
$107
Sydney
$299 178% $191
Sport & Entertainment
Taoyuan
$55
Sydney
$110 97.9% $54
Getting Around
Taoyuan
$47
Sydney
$174 271% $127

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $646 in Taoyuan versus $2,500 in Sydney. 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 166% higher in Sydney, 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 $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $379 – making Taoyuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇼 Taoyuan
🇦🇺 Sydney
🕒 Local time
11:37 11:37 AM
14:37 2:37 PM
3 h ahead of Taoyuan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,147,763
4,840,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Taoyuan Sydney 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Taoyuan
  • Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Taoyuan and in Sydney compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,200 in Taoyuan, $3,152 in Sydney – roughly 163% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Taoyuan compared to Sydney?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,800 per month in Taoyuan and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Taoyuan and Sydney?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Taoyuan and $91.0 in Sydney. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Taoyuan or Sydney?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,200 in Taoyuan and $3,152 in Sydney. That's a gap of about 163%.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taoyuan, where all-in costs run around $1,200, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Taoyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Taoyuan or Sydney?
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.
Is Taoyuan or Sydney safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Taoyuan and Sydney?
If budget matters most, go with Taoyuan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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