Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Taiwan

Name: Taiwan
Address: TW

For one person, living is cheaper in Taiwan: $1,146 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Taiwan
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Taiwan Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,146

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Taiwan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Taiwan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $1,146 in Taiwan, rent included.

United States $2,734
Taiwan $1,146

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,885 in Taiwan, rent included.

United States $3,985
Taiwan $1,885

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,625 in Taiwan, rent included.

United States $5,235
Taiwan $2,625

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Taiwan ($768–$1,330), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 139% higher than in Taiwan on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Taiwan is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$4.73 NT$153

323.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$30.54 NT$989

162.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$5.32 NT$172

121.80%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.87 NT$92.8

93.38%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.95 NT$30.87

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.63 NT$20.54

244.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.79 NT$57.9

241.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$2.43 NT$78.6

226.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$3.00 NT$97.2

-65.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.87 NT$60.5

91.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.04 NT$98.5

48.68%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.51 NT$81.2

70.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$17.94 NT$581

-26.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.54 NT$276

47.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$20.08 NT$650

-12.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.69 NT$152

13.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.59 NT$84.0

-34.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.91 NT$94.1

52.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.68 NT$119

29.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.68 NT$86.9

10.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.16 NT$69.9

45.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.12 NT$68.7

3.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.11 NT$36.06

111.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$3.74 NT$121

193.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.39 NT$401

21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.58 NT$51.2

30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.17 NT$70.3

74.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.64 NT$20.66

203.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$36.59 NT$1,185

62.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.74 NT$88.7

30.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.80 NT$25.75

135.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$9.32 NT$302

220.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.03 NT$33.33

-0.97%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$36.6K NT$1.2M

-21.32%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$22.9K NT$740.4K

14.62%

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

$218 $218

$83.2 NT$2,694

162.00%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$17.05 NT$552

266.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$23.05 NT$746

222.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$35.90 NT$1,162

16.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$11.42 NT$370

99.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$10.12 NT$328

45.26%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$557 NT$18.0K

167.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$15.9K NT$514.1K

59.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$62.6 NT$2,028

-13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$31.83 NT$1,031

34.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$82.1 NT$2,660

14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$102 NT$3,296

11.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$506 NT$16.4K

227.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$319 NT$10.3K

322.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,092 NT$35.4K

145.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$762 NT$24.7K

184.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$6,711 NT$217.3K

-51.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$4,605 NT$149.1K

-46.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$1,709 NT$55.4K

151.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

2.45

167.35%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Taiwan: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Taiwan

$319 27.8% 76.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Taiwan

$368 32.1% 11.4% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Taiwan

$123 10.8% 65.3% $232

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Taiwan

$108 9.5% 67% $220

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Taiwan

$125 10.9% 8.6% $12

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Taiwan

$46 4% 42.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Taiwan

$56 4.9% 21.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $426 in Taiwan. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $961 in Taipei.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $1,861 in Taiwan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 280% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 142% more in the United States.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 2.4 times higher in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇹🇼 Taiwan

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

17:55 5:55 PM

12 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

23,409,323

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 TWD = 3.09 USD

100 TWD = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 32.38 TWD (100 TWD = 3.09 USD). 1 EUR = 36.14 TWD (100 TWD = 2.77 EUR).

TWD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

United States Taiwan 12,630 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 States vs Taiwan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taiwan is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 58% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $426 in Taiwan.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Taiwan – part of why living there is about 58% cheaper overall.

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

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