Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongli City and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongli City and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,085 in Zhongli City versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,808 in Zhongli City versus $1,952 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,532 in Zhongli City versus $2,719 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Zhongli City costs roughly 9% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhongli City 19% lower, Kaohsiung 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.21 NT$168

$4.12 NT$133

26.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.70 NT$669

$33.84 NT$1,093

-38.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$156

$5.39 NT$174

-10.39%

Cappuccino

$2.44 NT$78.9

$2.96 NT$95.8

-17.57%

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

$0.77 NT$24.96

$0.98 NT$31.80

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.14

$0.76 NT$24.57

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 NT$47.63

$1.74 NT$56.1

-15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 NT$48.05

$2.70 NT$87.2

-44.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$105

$3.55 NT$115

-8.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 NT$57.4

$1.97 NT$63.8

-9.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 NT$91.3

$2.63 NT$85.0

7.22%

Eggs

$2.66 NT$85.9

$3.21 NT$104

-17.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.00 NT$1,002

$15.90 NT$514

94.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 NT$259

$9.50 NT$307

-15.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 NT$502

$17.68 NT$571

-12.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 NT$151

$6.13 NT$198

-23.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 NT$58.9

$2.55 NT$82.6

-28.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 NT$73.3

$2.82 NT$91.0

-19.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 NT$94.9

$4.03 NT$130

-27.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 NT$42.90

$2.96 NT$95.6

-55.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 NT$63.2

$2.25 NT$72.7

-13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$74.4

$1.89 NT$61.0

21.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NT$41.36

$1.15 NT$37.18

11.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$128

$4.31 NT$139

-7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 NT$497

$15.26 NT$493

0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$53.8

$1.71 NT$55.4

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$75.9

$2.56 NT$82.8

-8.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 NT$19.18

$0.88 NT$28.29

-32.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,330

$27.22 NT$880

51.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$94.2

$2.86 NT$92.4

1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.46

$0.77 NT$24.96

-5.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.31 NT$333

$6.28 NT$203

64.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 NT$29.49

$1.03 NT$33.20

-11.65%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$34.1K NT$1.1M

-1.52%

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

$26.3K NT$850.4K

$24.9K NT$805.6K

5.55%

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

$95.3 NT$3,080

$104 NT$3,372

-8.64%

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

$13.28 NT$429

$24.88 NT$804

-46.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.00 NT$323

$25.03 NT$809

-60.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.83 NT$1,190

$39.26 NT$1,269

-6.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.26 NT$493

$11.20 NT$362

36.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.51 NT$307

$10.35 NT$334

-8.12%

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

$355 NT$11.5K

$422 NT$13.6K

-15.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K NT$681.7K

$11.2K NT$361.7K

88.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 NT$1,974

$95.4 NT$3,082

-35.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.30 NT$656

$35.24 NT$1,139

-42.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 NT$2,505

$88.6 NT$2,863

-12.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 NT$2,172

$103 NT$3,323

-34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 NT$13.8K

$437 NT$14.1K

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 NT$8,502

$274 NT$8,865

-4.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 NT$34.1K

$933 NT$30.1K

13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 NT$24.0K

$704 NT$22.7K

5.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,554 NT$147.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 NT$99.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,280 NT$73.7K

$1,502 NT$48.5K

51.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

2.3

-8.70%

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

Last update for Zhongli City: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Zhongli City and $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhongli City pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Zhongli City vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $383, 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

Zhongli City vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhongli City and Kaohsiung differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,085 vs $1,186 including rent). Zhongli City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Zhongli City, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Zhongli City versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Zhongli City versus $422 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,085 in Zhongli City versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhongli City but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongli City 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, Zhongli City 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 Zhongli City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.