Cost of Living Comparison Between Yilan and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Yilan and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,093 in Yilan versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,693 in Yilan versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,294 in Yilan versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Yilan costs roughly 5% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yilan 18% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.62 NT$114

$4.03 NT$127

-10.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.73 NT$967

$33.84 NT$1,065

-9.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 NT$168

$5.54 NT$174

-3.61%

Cappuccino

$2.95 NT$93.0

$3.08 NT$96.8

-4.22%

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

$1.10 NT$34.59

$1.02 NT$32.01

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$21.65

$0.78 NT$24.41

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 NT$48.92

$1.72 NT$54.1

-9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NT$91.6

$2.77 NT$87.2

5.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.57 NT$112

$3.62 NT$114

-1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$55.8

$2.05 NT$64.5

-13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 NT$62.9

$2.76 NT$86.8

-27.54%

Eggs

$2.63 NT$82.7

$3.21 NT$101

-18.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.73 NT$999

$15.85 NT$499

100.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 NT$249

$9.05 NT$285

-12.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 NT$493

$17.92 NT$564

-12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 NT$149

$6.00 NT$189

-21.17%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 NT$27.39

$2.58 NT$81.2

-66.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 NT$72.6

$2.77 NT$87.1

-16.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 NT$54.5

$4.15 NT$131

-58.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 NT$42.19

$2.99 NT$94.0

-55.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 NT$43.91

$2.21 NT$69.7

-37.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 NT$68.3

$1.94 NT$61.2

11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 NT$40.82

$1.16 NT$36.44

12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 NT$132

$4.34 NT$137

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 NT$511

$15.85 NT$499

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 NT$45.24

$1.73 NT$54.5

-16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$83.7

$2.54 NT$80.0

4.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 NT$31.63

$0.82 NT$25.70

21.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.29 NT$1,079

$26.88 NT$846

27.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 NT$89.6

$2.95 NT$93.0

-3.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NT$37.49

$0.73 NT$22.97

63.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 NT$314

$5.98 NT$188

66.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$32.91

$1.04 NT$32.73

0.96%

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

$26.6K NT$838.1K

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-21.41%

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

$23.5K NT$741.1K

$25.1K NT$790.9K

-6.31%

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

$59.6 NT$1,877

$104 NT$3,265

-42.52%

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

$17.18 NT$541

$25.58 NT$805

-32.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.06 NT$694

$25.14 NT$791

-12.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.87 NT$1,003

$38.16 NT$1,201

-16.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.17 NT$541

$11.48 NT$361

49.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.79 NT$308

$10.07 NT$317

-2.78%

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

$359 NT$11.3K

$431 NT$13.6K

-16.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K NT$642.6K

$11.4K NT$358.3K

79.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 NT$2,230

$94.9 NT$2,987

-25.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 NT$1,077

$35.33 NT$1,112

-3.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 NT$2,477

$91.4 NT$2,878

-13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 NT$2,731

$101 NT$3,170

-13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 NT$9,544

$432 NT$13.6K

-29.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 NT$9,185

$282 NT$8,866

3.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 NT$21.1K

$940 NT$29.6K

-28.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 NT$15.5K

$681 NT$21.4K

-27.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,553 NT$237.7K

$4,727 NT$148.8K

59.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,424 NT$170.7K

$3,275 NT$103.1K

65.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,040 NT$32.7K

$1,509 NT$47.5K

-31.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.3

-5.22%

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

Last update for Yilan: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $303 in Yilan and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $31.00 in Yilan vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $385 per month, with Yilan cheaper across the board.

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

Yilan vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yilan and Kaohsiung differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,093 vs $1,149 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 45% 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: $303 in Yilan versus $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $359 in Yilan versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,093 in Yilan versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yilan but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Yilan 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, Yilan 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 Yilan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.