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: $997 in Yilan versus $1,121 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,701 in Yilan versus $1,819 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,405 in Yilan versus $2,517 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Yilan costs roughly 11% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yilan 27% lower, Kaohsiung 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.36 NT$107

$5.38 NT$171

-37.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.95 NT$950

$31.67 NT$1,005

-5.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 NT$146

$4.85 NT$154

-4.74%

Cappuccino

$2.82 NT$89.4

$2.81 NT$89.1

0.36%

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

$1.00 NT$31.61

$1.08 NT$34.26

-7.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$21.74

$0.66 NT$20.98

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 NT$45.93

$1.56 NT$49.58

-7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NT$89.3

$2.46 NT$78.2

14.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 NT$96.7

$3.18 NT$101

-4.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$56.0

$2.17 NT$68.8

-18.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 NT$85.4

$3.06 NT$97.2

-12.09%

Eggs

$2.51 NT$79.7

$2.57 NT$81.6

-2.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.65 NT$909

$15.63 NT$496

83.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 NT$246

$7.94 NT$252

-2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.99 NT$539

$15.18 NT$482

11.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 NT$139

$6.56 NT$208

-33.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 NT$62.2

$2.76 NT$87.6

-28.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 NT$58.8

$2.56 NT$81.1

-27.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 NT$69.2

$3.09 NT$98.0

-29.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 NT$37.58

$2.67 NT$84.7

-55.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$60.3

$2.07 NT$65.6

-8.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NT$73.5

$2.38 NT$75.5

-2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.66

$1.08 NT$34.11

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 NT$122

$4.18 NT$133

-8.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.82 NT$502

$15.86 NT$503

-0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 NT$45.32

$1.66 NT$52.8

-13.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$80.9

$2.24 NT$71.1

13.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.95

$0.74 NT$23.41

1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.87 NT$1,138

$12.69 NT$402

182.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 NT$83.1

$2.63 NT$83.4

-0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$30.83

$0.76 NT$24.00

27.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 NT$300

$5.54 NT$176

70.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.61

$1.04 NT$32.99

-3.85%

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

$25.5K NT$808.6K

$34.2K NT$1.1M

-25.53%

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

$19.5K NT$617.3K

$23.9K NT$759.4K

-18.71%

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

$47.65 NT$1,512

$86.3 NT$2,739

-44.81%

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

$15.19 NT$482

$17.06 NT$541

-10.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.13 NT$670

$26.21 NT$831

-19.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 NT$1,010

$40.20 NT$1,275

-20.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 NT$339

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 NT$247

$11.24 NT$357

-30.78%

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

$341 NT$10.8K

$465 NT$14.7K

-26.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K NT$552.3K

$14.3K NT$455.2K

21.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 NT$1,726

$92.7 NT$2,941

-41.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.05 NT$985

$33.78 NT$1,072

-8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 NT$2,709

$86.7 NT$2,750

-1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 NT$1,976

$101 NT$3,203

-38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 NT$8,708

$411 NT$13.0K

-33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 NT$7,905

$280 NT$8,899

-11.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 NT$30.9K

$985 NT$31.3K

-1.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 NT$23.6K

$688 NT$21.8K

8.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,183 NT$227.9K

$4,665 NT$148.0K

53.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,078 NT$161.1K

$3,188 NT$101.1K

59.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,009 NT$32.0K

$1,434 NT$45.5K

-29.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

2.56

-11.33%

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

Last update for Yilan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Yilan and $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 42% 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: $30.00 in Yilan vs $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $362, with Kaohsiung 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

Yilan vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yilan and Kaohsiung differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($997 vs $1,121 including rent). Yilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% 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: $274 in Yilan versus $411 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $341 in Yilan versus $465 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $997 in Yilan versus $1,121 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 13% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.