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 $2,405 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,079 in Taiwan, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,520 per month in United Kingdom vs $1,780 in Taiwan, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,635 per month in United Kingdom vs $2,481 in Taiwan, rent included.

The cost of living in United Kingdom is about 123% higher than in Taiwan on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

United Kingdom sits 74% above the global median, while Taiwan is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in United Kingdom ($1,100–$4,235) than in Taiwan ($788–$1,376), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 £15.90

$4.82 NT$153

346.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.0

$31.88 NT$1,008

175.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$5.47 NT$173

99.09%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.64

$3.06 NT$96.9

60.78%

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

$2.59 £1.91

$1.03 NT$32.42

151.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.70 NT$22.22

162.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 £5.11

$1.92 NT$60.8

259.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 £5.07

$2.52 NT$79.7

172.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.23

$3.14 NT$99.4

-46.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.23

$1.96 NT$61.8

-14.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$3.09 NT$97.7

-28.80%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$2.65 NT$83.8

58.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 £7.38

$18.41 NT$582

-45.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 £7.00

$8.58 NT$271

10.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.41 £11.39

$20.39 NT$645

-24.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$4.83 NT$153

-37.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 £1.25

$2.77 NT$87.6

-38.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$2.91 NT$92.0

0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 £2.50

$3.84 NT$121

-11.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$2.87 NT$90.8

-35.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.37 NT$74.9

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.93

$2.18 NT$69.0

-42.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.15 NT$36.46

47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.21 £17.90

$4.00 NT$126

505.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.00 £8.13

$12.44 NT$393

-11.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$1.65 NT$52.3

80.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 £2.51

$2.21 NT$69.9

53.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.53

$0.65 NT$20.63

427.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.9

$38.61 NT$1,221

172.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 £3.96

$2.81 NT$88.7

90.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 £1.75

$0.80 NT$25.34

196.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 £20.36

$9.70 NT$307

184.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.01 NT$31.90

91.09%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$34.1K NT$1.1M

16.32%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$24.7K NT$782.3K

64.39%

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

$321 £238

$86.6 NT$2,739

271.24%

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

$18.67 £13.80

$17.95 NT$568

4.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.93 £32.47

$24.39 NT$771

80.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.56 £34.41

$37.66 NT$1,191

23.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 £13.83

$11.92 NT$377

56.96%

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 £10.00

$10.27 NT$325

31.74%

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

$1,739 £1,285

$555 NT$17.5K

213.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.7K

$15.9K NT$501.8K

42.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £67.2

$63.6 NT$2,013

42.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 £35.04

$33.77 NT$1,068

40.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £77.8

$83.9 NT$2,655

25.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.9

$105 NT$3,315

-3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 £1,022

$517 NT$16.4K

167.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 £809

$320 NT$10.1K

242.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,216 £1,638

$1,132 NT$35.8K

95.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 £1,341

$801 NT$25.3K

126.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,730 £4,235

$8,215 NT$259.8K

-30.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,515 £3,337

$5,646 NT$178.6K

-20.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,329 £2,461

$1,738 NT$55.0K

91.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

2.42

119.83%

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

Last update for United Kingdom: September 5, 2026

Last update for Taiwan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,285 in United Kingdom vs $433 in Taiwan. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,926 in London and $907 in Taipei.

Average salary: $3,292 in United Kingdom vs $1,922 in Taiwan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 197% higher in United Kingdom.

Dining out costs 163% more in United Kingdom.

Public transport is 187% more expensive in United Kingdom.

Salaries are 71% 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 147% 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 147% 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.