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: $1,435 in Tirana versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Tirana versus $1,952 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,972 in Tirana versus $2,719 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Tirana is roughly 21% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tirana is 7% above, Kaohsiung is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 ALL 975

$4.12 NT$133

190.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 ALL 4,734

$33.84 NT$1,093

71.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 ALL 767

$5.39 NT$174

74.40%

Cappuccino

$1.98 ALL 161

$2.96 NT$95.8

-33.11%

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

$1.84 ALL 150

$0.98 NT$31.80

87.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 ALL 75.8

$0.76 NT$24.57

22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ALL 238

$1.74 NT$56.1

67.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ALL 331

$2.70 NT$87.2

50.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ALL 167

$3.55 NT$115

-42.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 ALL 89.5

$1.97 NT$63.8

-44.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ALL 182

$2.63 NT$85.0

-15.21%

Eggs

$3.97 ALL 324

$3.21 NT$104

23.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 ALL 1,065

$15.90 NT$514

-17.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 ALL 620

$9.50 NT$307

-20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 ALL 1,298

$17.68 NT$571

-10.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 ALL 143

$6.13 NT$198

-71.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 ALL 224

$2.55 NT$82.6

7.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ALL 161

$2.82 NT$91.0

-30.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 162

$4.03 NT$130

-50.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 ALL 107

$2.96 NT$95.6

-55.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ALL 109

$2.25 NT$72.7

-40.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 ALL 122

$1.89 NT$61.0

-20.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ALL 59.8

$1.15 NT$37.18

-36.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 ALL 337

$4.31 NT$139

-4.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 ALL 849

$15.26 NT$493

-31.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 ALL 129

$1.71 NT$55.4

-7.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ALL 177

$2.56 NT$82.8

-15.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 39.64

$0.88 NT$28.29

-44.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.09 ALL 1,556

$27.22 NT$880

-29.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ALL 292

$2.86 NT$92.4

25.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.10 ALL 253

$0.77 NT$24.96

302.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.72 ALL 1,445

$6.28 NT$203

182.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 ALL 174

$1.03 NT$33.20

107.77%

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

$40.0K ALL 3.3M

$34.1K NT$1.1M

17.32%

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

$35.4K ALL 2.9M

$24.9K NT$805.6K

41.82%

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

$109 ALL 8,902

$104 NT$3,372

4.60%

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

$17.95 ALL 1,464

$24.88 NT$804

-27.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.17 ALL 1,482

$25.03 NT$809

-27.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 ALL 4,505

$39.26 NT$1,269

40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 ALL 1,896

$11.20 NT$362

107.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.51 ALL 775

$10.35 NT$334

-8.12%

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

$286 ALL 23.3K

$422 NT$13.6K

-32.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,525 ALL 450.5K

$11.2K NT$361.7K

-50.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 ALL 5,538

$95.4 NT$3,082

-28.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 ALL 4,095

$35.24 NT$1,139

42.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ALL 8,697

$88.6 NT$2,863

20.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ALL 10.6K

$103 NT$3,323

26.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$824 ALL 67.2K

$437 NT$14.1K

88.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ALL 45.3K

$274 NT$8,865

102.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 ALL 119.9K

$933 NT$30.1K

57.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 ALL 74.1K

$704 NT$22.7K

29.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,308 ALL 351.4K

$4,554 NT$147.2K

-5.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,148 ALL 175.1K

$3,076 NT$99.4K

-30.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$869 ALL 70.8K

$1,502 NT$48.5K

-42.19%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $824 in Tirana and $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Tirana vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $383, 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,435 vs $1,186 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% 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: $824 in Tirana versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $286 in Tirana versus $422 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tirana pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,186 in Kaohsiung versus $1,435 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 21% less than in Tirana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.