Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Taiwan Cost of Living Comparison Between United Kingdom and Taiwan

Name: Taiwan
Address: TW

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,363 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,143 in Taiwan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,471 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,895 in Taiwan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,579 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,647 in Taiwan, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 107% higher than in Taiwan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 77% above the global median, while Taiwan is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,670–$3,916) than in Taiwan ($887–$1,497), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 £15.05

$5.15 NT$166

292.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 £65.7

$34.27 NT$1,107

157.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.70

$5.55 NT$179

86.49%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.55

$3.18 NT$103

50.00%

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

$2.44 £1.82

$1.05 NT$33.92

132.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$0.70 NT$22.47

147.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.10

$2.05 NT$66.2

234.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 £4.85

$2.75 NT$88.9

137.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$3.34 NT$108

-50.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.98 NT$64.1

-13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 £1.64

$3.30 NT$107

-33.03%

Eggs

$4.09 £3.04

$2.91 NT$94.0

40.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 £7.08

$17.30 NT$559

-44.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.02 £6.71

$8.97 NT$290

0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 £10.54

$20.20 NT$653

-29.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$4.89 NT$158

-39.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.57 NT$83.1

-34.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 £2.11

$2.78 NT$90.0

2.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 £2.54

$3.71 NT$120

-8.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.80 NT$90.6

-39.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.32 NT$74.9

-31.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$2.17 NT$70.3

-48.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.27 NT$40.93

20.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.16 £15.00

$4.24 NT$137

375.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 £7.79

$14.17 NT$458

-26.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 £2.14

$1.73 NT$56.0

65.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.45

$2.45 NT$79.2

34.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$0.89 NT$28.75

274.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.3 £71.6

$41.24 NT$1,332

133.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.53 £4.11

$2.96 NT$95.8

86.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 £1.19

$0.78 NT$25.32

105.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 £20.47

$10.28 NT$332

167.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.02 NT$33.05

86.27%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$36.6K NT$1.2M

4.16%

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

$41.0K £30.5K

$26.6K NT$858.2K

54.34%

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

$326 £243

$83.2 NT$2,688

291.95%

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

$17.18 £12.78

$24.27 NT$784

-29.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 £31.96

$23.79 NT$769

80.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.94 £34.17

$38.75 NT$1,252

18.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.87 £11.81

$11.75 NT$380

35.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 £10.26

$10.83 NT$350

27.42%

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

$1,723 £1,281

$549 NT$17.7K

213.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$15.6K NT$504.5K

33.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 £67.2

$67.2 NT$2,171

34.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.39 £33.02

$33.12 NT$1,070

34.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.7

$92.6 NT$2,991

11.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.3

$120 NT$3,861

-14.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 £1,055

$540 NT$17.5K

162.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £850

$375 NT$12.1K

204.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 £1,709

$1,154 NT$37.3K

99.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,393

$860 NT$27.8K

117.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,728 £4,260

$8,033 NT$259.6K

-28.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,339 £3,228

$5,452 NT$176.2K

-20.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,428

$1,758 NT$56.8K

85.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

2.14

168.69%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: July 13, 2026

Last update for Taiwan: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,266 in United Kingdom vs $451 in Taiwan. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,937 in London and $795 in Taipei.

Average salary: $3,192 in United Kingdom vs $1,888 in Taiwan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 181% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 171% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 136% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 69% higher in United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Taiwan.

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

United Kingdom vs Taiwan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiwan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 134% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in United Kingdom, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but United Kingdom consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Taiwan, contributing to the overall 134% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Taiwan, but in United Kingdom it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Taiwan is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.