Cost of Living Comparison Between Tirana and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Tirana and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,388 in Tirana versus $1,121 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,245 in Tirana versus $1,819 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,102 in Tirana versus $2,517 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Tirana is roughly 24% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tirana is 1% above, Kaohsiung is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.87 ALL 782

$5.38 NT$171

83.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 ALL 4,290

$31.67 NT$1,005

70.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 ALL 909

$4.85 NT$154

136.49%

Cappuccino

$2.38 ALL 189

$2.81 NT$89.1

-15.30%

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

$2.43 ALL 192

$1.08 NT$34.26

125.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 ALL 102

$0.66 NT$20.98

93.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.63 ALL 288

$1.56 NT$49.58

132.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ALL 337

$2.46 NT$78.2

72.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 ALL 181

$3.18 NT$101

-27.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 ALL 97.9

$2.17 NT$68.8

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ALL 199

$3.06 NT$97.2

-17.97%

Eggs

$3.74 ALL 297

$2.57 NT$81.6

45.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.61 ALL 1,079

$15.63 NT$496

-12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 ALL 727

$7.94 NT$252

15.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 ALL 1,351

$15.18 NT$482

12.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ALL 154

$6.56 NT$208

-70.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 ALL 196

$2.76 NT$87.6

-10.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 ALL 173

$2.56 NT$81.1

-14.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 ALL 155

$3.09 NT$98.0

-36.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ALL 81.7

$2.67 NT$84.7

-61.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 ALL 102

$2.07 NT$65.6

-37.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 ALL 113

$2.38 NT$75.5

-40.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ALL 65.0

$1.08 NT$34.11

-24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 ALL 379

$4.18 NT$133

14.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 ALL 881

$15.86 NT$503

-29.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ALL 139

$1.66 NT$52.8

5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 ALL 165

$2.24 NT$71.1

-6.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 ALL 40.88

$0.74 NT$23.41

-29.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.76 ALL 1,566

$12.69 NT$402

55.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ALL 294

$2.63 NT$83.4

41.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.74 ALL 297

$0.76 NT$24.00

392.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.72 ALL 1,484

$5.54 NT$176

237.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.40 ALL 191

$1.04 NT$32.99

130.77%

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

$34.4K ALL 2.7M

$34.2K NT$1.1M

0.47%

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

$36.5K ALL 2.9M

$23.9K NT$759.4K

52.56%

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

$105 ALL 8,297

$86.3 NT$2,739

21.25%

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

$19.40 ALL 1,538

$17.06 NT$541

13.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.12 ALL 1,674

$26.21 NT$831

-19.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 ALL 4,589

$40.20 NT$1,275

44.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.35 ALL 1,454

$10.70 NT$339

71.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.24 ALL 812

$11.24 NT$357

-8.90%

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

$351 ALL 27.8K

$465 NT$14.7K

-24.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,286 ALL 656.7K

$14.3K NT$455.2K

-42.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 ALL 5,804

$92.7 NT$2,941

-20.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 ALL 3,779

$33.78 NT$1,072

41.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ALL 9,588

$86.7 NT$2,750

39.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ALL 9,126

$101 NT$3,203

14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$854 ALL 67.7K

$411 NT$13.0K

107.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 ALL 40.0K

$280 NT$8,899

79.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,546 ALL 122.5K

$985 NT$31.3K

56.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 ALL 75.6K

$688 NT$21.8K

38.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,504 ALL 356.9K

$4,665 NT$148.0K

-3.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,151 ALL 170.5K

$3,188 NT$101.1K

-32.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$899 ALL 71.2K

$1,434 NT$45.5K

-37.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

2.56

120.31%

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

Last update for Tirana: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $854 in Tirana and $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Tirana vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $362, with Tirana cheaper for home cooking.

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

Tirana vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tirana and Kaohsiung differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,388 vs $1,121 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Kaohsiung. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $854 in Tirana versus $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $351 in Tirana versus $465 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tirana pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $1,388 in Tirana, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Tirana. 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, Tirana 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 24% less than in Tirana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.