Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhongli City and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongli City: $993 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Zhongli City
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Zhongli City Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Zhongli City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$993

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zhongli City and in Taipei

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

A single person spends $993 per month in Zhongli City vs $1,368 in Taipei, rent included.

Zhongli City $993
Taipei $1,368

A couple spends around $1,675 per month in Zhongli City vs $2,202 in Taipei, rent included.

Zhongli City $1,675
Taipei $2,202

A family of three spends $2,357 per month in Zhongli City vs $3,036 in Taipei, rent included.

Zhongli City $2,357
Taipei $3,036

Zhongli City is about 27% cheaper than Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Zhongli City sits 26% below the global median, while Taipei is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 NT$150

$4.60 NT$149

0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.29 NT$1,015

$47.13 NT$1,528

-33.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 NT$155

$5.58 NT$181

-14.52%

Cappuccino

$2.57 NT$83.4

$3.45 NT$112

-25.51%

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

$1.03 NT$33.52

$0.94 NT$30.61

9.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.35

$0.67 NT$21.73

2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 NT$52.2

$2.86 NT$92.7

-43.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 NT$89.1

$3.70 NT$120

-25.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 NT$103

$3.12 NT$101

1.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$56.3

$1.97 NT$64.0

-11.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.71 NT$87.9

$3.16 NT$103

-14.24%

Eggs

$2.60 NT$84.3

$2.68 NT$86.9

-2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.77 NT$414

$19.90 NT$645

-35.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.09 NT$230

$9.85 NT$319

-28.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.39 NT$499

$21.51 NT$698

-28.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 NT$121

$4.85 NT$157

-22.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NT$63.8

$3.25 NT$105

-39.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NT$99.9

$3.03 NT$98.2

1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 NT$72.1

$4.53 NT$147

-50.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 NT$39.81

$2.79 NT$90.4

-55.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.5

$2.34 NT$75.9

-18.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 NT$79.0

$1.68 NT$54.5

45.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.52

$1.10 NT$35.62

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 NT$122

$3.80 NT$123

-0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 NT$501

$14.17 NT$460

9.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 NT$50.2

$1.63 NT$53.0

-4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$82.8

$2.29 NT$74.3

11.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.90

$0.65 NT$21.04

-6.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.64 NT$1,221

$37.88 NT$1,228

-0.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$86.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 NT$18.72

$0.82 NT$26.55

-29.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$312

$9.17 NT$297

4.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 NT$31.60

$1.02 NT$32.93

-4.90%

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

$33.1K NT$1.1M

$32.8K NT$1.1M

0.77%

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

$23.3K NT$754.6K

$24.5K NT$795.1K

-5.09%

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

$106 NT$3,433

$87.7 NT$2,843

20.75%

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

$14.76 NT$479

$17.28 NT$560

-14.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 NT$556

$27.38 NT$888

-37.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 NT$1,308

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 NT$312

$9.83 NT$319

-2.14%

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

$344 NT$11.1K

$663 NT$21.5K

-48.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$546.5K

$16.6K NT$538.4K

1.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 NT$2,338

$62.4 NT$2,025

15.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.46 NT$1,182

$39.51 NT$1,281

-7.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 NT$1,782

$84.5 NT$2,740

-34.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NT$3,505

$106 NT$3,424

2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 NT$14.5K

$999 NT$32.4K

-55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 NT$8,125

$473 NT$15.3K

-47.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$874 NT$28.3K

$1,565 NT$50.8K

-44.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 NT$23.2K

$948 NT$30.7K

-24.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K NT$385.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,306 NT$236.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,288 NT$74.2K

$1,760 NT$57.1K

30.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.1

2.4

-12.50%

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

Last update for Zhongli City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhongli City

$315 31.8%

Taipei

$400 29.3% 26.9% $85

Accommodation & Living

Zhongli City

$251 25.2%

Taipei

$473 34.6% 88.9% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhongli City

$138 13.9%

Taipei

$132 9.7% 3.9% $5.4

Clothing & Footwear

Zhongli City

$122 12.3%

Taipei

$131 9.6% 7.5% $9.2

Eating Out

Zhongli City

$103 10.3%

Taipei

$123 9% 20% $21

Getting Around

Zhongli City

$46 4.6%

Taipei

$47 3.5% 3.5% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Zhongli City

$19 * 1.9%

Taipei

$60 4.4% 212% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $448 in Zhongli City versus $999 in Taipei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Zhongli City, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Zhongli City versus $47.00 in Taipei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $400 – making Zhongli City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Zhongli City

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

Same time as Zhongli City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

396,453

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

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

Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,490 per month in Zhongli City and $2,052 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhongli City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $993 in Zhongli City and $1,368 in Taipei. That's a gap of about 38%.

Public transport costs about 1% less in Zhongli City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhongli City, where all-in costs run around $993, than in Taipei at $1,368. In Zhongli City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhongli City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zhongli City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taipei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.