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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,140 in Zhubei City versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,070 in Zhubei City versus $1,952 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,001 in Zhubei City versus $2,719 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Zhubei City costs roughly 4% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhubei City 15% lower, Kaohsiung 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.19 NT$168

$4.12 NT$133

25.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.12 NT$1,103

$33.84 NT$1,093

0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 NT$184

$5.39 NT$174

5.38%

Cappuccino

$3.56 NT$115

$2.96 NT$95.8

20.27%

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

$0.91 NT$29.25

$0.98 NT$31.80

-7.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 NT$20.04

$0.76 NT$24.57

-18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 NT$72.2

$1.74 NT$56.1

28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NT$89.0

$2.70 NT$87.2

2.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 NT$101

$3.55 NT$115

-12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 NT$66.5

$1.97 NT$63.8

4.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 NT$140

$2.63 NT$85.0

65.02%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$94.0

$3.21 NT$104

-9.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 NT$447

$15.90 NT$514

-12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 NT$273

$9.50 NT$307

-10.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.32 NT$915

$17.68 NT$571

60.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 NT$140

$6.13 NT$198

-29.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NT$85.1

$2.55 NT$82.6

3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$88.1

$2.82 NT$91.0

-3.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 NT$126

$4.03 NT$130

-2.98%

Potato (1kg)

$4.04 NT$131

$2.96 NT$95.6

36.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 NT$81.7

$2.25 NT$72.7

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 NT$85.4

$1.89 NT$61.0

39.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.84

$1.15 NT$37.18

15.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$128

$4.31 NT$139

-7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 NT$282

$15.26 NT$493

-42.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$50.7

$1.71 NT$55.4

-8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 NT$91.5

$2.56 NT$82.8

10.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$21.03

$0.88 NT$28.29

-26.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.36 NT$1,272

$27.22 NT$880

44.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 NT$108

$2.86 NT$92.4

17.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 NT$18.90

$0.77 NT$24.96

-24.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NT$324

$6.28 NT$203

59.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$34.55

$1.03 NT$33.20

3.88%

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

$40.9K NT$1.3M

$34.1K NT$1.1M

19.98%

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

$27.3K NT$880.5K

$24.9K NT$805.6K

9.29%

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

$91.7 NT$2,963

$104 NT$3,372

-12.13%

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

$33.73 NT$1,090

$24.88 NT$804

35.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.46 NT$790

$25.03 NT$809

-2.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.75 NT$1,091

$39.26 NT$1,269

-14.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 NT$491

$11.20 NT$362

35.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 NT$377

$10.35 NT$334

12.85%

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

$703 NT$22.7K

$422 NT$13.6K

66.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K NT$501.2K

$11.2K NT$361.7K

38.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 NT$2,727

$95.4 NT$3,082

-11.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.17 NT$1,524

$35.24 NT$1,139

33.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 NT$3,255

$88.6 NT$2,863

13.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 NT$3,670

$103 NT$3,323

10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 NT$14.1K

$437 NT$14.1K

0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 NT$6,842

$274 NT$8,865

-22.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 NT$38.8K

$933 NT$30.1K

28.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$857 NT$27.7K

$704 NT$22.7K

21.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.4K NT$528.3K

$4,554 NT$147.2K

259.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,443 NT$305.1K

$3,076 NT$99.4K

207.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,391 NT$77.2K

$1,502 NT$48.5K

59.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.3

4.35%

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

Last update for Zhubei City: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Zhubei City and $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 59% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Zhubei City vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 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

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

Zhubei City and Kaohsiung differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,140 vs $1,186 including rent). Zhubei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Zhubei 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: $438 in Zhubei City versus $437 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Zhubei 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 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,140 in Zhubei City versus $1,186 in Kaohsiung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zhubei City but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Zhubei 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, Zhubei 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 Zhubei City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.