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: $1,413 in Tirana versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,176 in Tirana versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,939 in Tirana versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Tirana is roughly 23% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tirana is 5% above, Kaohsiung is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 ALL 978

$4.03 NT$127

196.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.4 ALL 4,861

$33.84 NT$1,065

75.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 ALL 765

$5.54 NT$174

68.95%

Cappuccino

$1.96 ALL 160

$3.08 NT$96.8

-36.36%

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

$1.81 ALL 148

$1.02 NT$32.01

77.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 ALL 76.8

$0.78 NT$24.41

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 ALL 246

$1.72 NT$54.1

74.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 ALL 340

$2.77 NT$87.2

49.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 ALL 175

$3.62 NT$114

-40.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 ALL 89.5

$2.05 NT$64.5

-46.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ALL 177

$2.76 NT$86.8

-21.38%

Eggs

$3.87 ALL 316

$3.21 NT$101

20.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 ALL 1,070

$15.85 NT$499

-17.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.54 ALL 617

$9.05 NT$285

-16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 ALL 1,282

$17.92 NT$564

-12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ALL 138

$6.00 NT$189

-71.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.80 ALL 229

$2.58 NT$81.2

8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ALL 166

$2.77 NT$87.1

-26.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.94 ALL 159

$4.15 NT$131

-53.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 ALL 112

$2.99 NT$94.0

-54.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ALL 108

$2.21 NT$69.7

-40.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 ALL 120

$1.94 NT$61.2

-24.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ALL 61.7

$1.16 NT$36.44

-35.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 ALL 352

$4.34 NT$137

-0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.11 ALL 909

$15.85 NT$499

-29.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 ALL 131

$1.73 NT$54.5

-7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ALL 175

$2.54 NT$80.0

-16.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ALL 37.27

$0.82 NT$25.70

-43.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.09 ALL 1,562

$26.88 NT$846

-28.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ALL 292

$2.95 NT$93.0

21.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 ALL 256

$0.73 NT$22.97

327.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.96 ALL 1,469

$5.98 NT$188

200.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 ALL 170

$1.04 NT$32.73

100.00%

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

$40.3K ALL 3.3M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

18.93%

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

$36.2K ALL 3.0M

$25.1K NT$790.9K

44.13%

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

$105 ALL 8,591

$104 NT$3,265

1.24%

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

$17.92 ALL 1,466

$25.58 NT$805

-29.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.38 ALL 1,504

$25.14 NT$791

-26.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 ALL 4,421

$38.16 NT$1,201

41.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.31 ALL 1,907

$11.48 NT$361

103.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 ALL 761

$10.07 NT$317

-7.55%

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

$288 ALL 23.6K

$431 NT$13.6K

-33.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,480 ALL 448.4K

$11.4K NT$358.3K

-51.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 ALL 5,535

$94.9 NT$2,987

-28.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 ALL 4,200

$35.33 NT$1,112

45.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ALL 8,749

$91.4 NT$2,878

16.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ALL 10.7K

$101 NT$3,170

29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 ALL 68.1K

$432 NT$13.6K

92.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 ALL 44.2K

$282 NT$8,866

91.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 ALL 119.0K

$940 NT$29.6K

54.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 ALL 73.3K

$681 NT$21.4K

31.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,601 ALL 376.4K

$4,727 NT$148.8K

-2.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,244 ALL 183.6K

$3,275 NT$103.1K

-31.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$918 ALL 75.1K

$1,509 NT$47.5K

-39.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.52

2.3

140.00%

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

Last update for Tirana: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $833 in Tirana and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Tirana vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 vs $385, 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,413 vs $1,149 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 64% less. 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: $833 in Tirana versus $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Tirana versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tirana pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,413 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 23% less than in Tirana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.