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: $1,119 in Zhubei City versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,029 in Zhubei City versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,940 in Zhubei City versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Zhubei City costs roughly 3% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zhubei City 17% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 NT$156

$4.03 NT$127

23.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,079

$33.84 NT$1,066

1.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 NT$179

$5.54 NT$174

2.35%

Cappuccino

$3.70 NT$117

$3.08 NT$96.9

20.13%

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

$0.98 NT$30.98

$1.02 NT$32.04

-3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$19.84

$0.78 NT$24.43

-19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 NT$71.3

$1.72 NT$54.1

31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 NT$84.9

$2.77 NT$87.2

-2.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$102

$3.62 NT$114

-10.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 NT$62.8

$2.05 NT$64.6

-2.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 NT$137

$2.76 NT$86.9

57.25%

Eggs

$3.02 NT$95.0

$3.21 NT$101

-5.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 NT$433

$15.85 NT$499

-13.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 NT$275

$9.05 NT$285

-3.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 NT$876

$17.92 NT$565

55.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 NT$138

$6.00 NT$189

-27.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.2

$2.58 NT$81.3

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 NT$87.5

$2.77 NT$87.2

0.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 NT$124

$4.15 NT$131

-4.82%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 NT$127

$2.99 NT$94.1

34.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 NT$79.9

$2.21 NT$69.8

14.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 NT$83.4

$1.94 NT$61.2

36.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.65

$1.16 NT$36.47

19.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 NT$131

$4.34 NT$137

-3.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.15 NT$288

$15.85 NT$499

-42.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$49.58

$1.73 NT$54.6

-9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 NT$85.0

$2.54 NT$80.0

6.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.40

$0.82 NT$25.73

-20.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.26 NT$1,205

$26.88 NT$847

42.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 NT$107

$2.95 NT$93.1

15.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 NT$19.78

$0.73 NT$22.99

-13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 NT$321

$5.98 NT$188

70.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.42

$1.04 NT$32.76

-0.96%

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

$41.8K NT$1.3M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

23.50%

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

$27.2K NT$856.5K

$25.1K NT$791.6K

8.19%

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

$93.0 NT$2,930

$104 NT$3,268

-10.34%

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

$33.79 NT$1,064

$25.58 NT$806

32.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.60 NT$775

$25.14 NT$792

-2.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.24 NT$1,079

$38.16 NT$1,202

-10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 NT$481

$11.48 NT$362

33.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 NT$370

$10.07 NT$317

16.78%

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

$690 NT$21.7K

$431 NT$13.6K

60.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K NT$479.7K

$11.4K NT$358.6K

33.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.4 NT$2,690

$94.9 NT$2,989

-10.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.83 NT$1,507

$35.33 NT$1,113

35.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 NT$3,147

$91.4 NT$2,880

9.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 NT$3,617

$101 NT$3,173

13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 NT$13.4K

$432 NT$13.6K

-1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 NT$6,690

$282 NT$8,873

-24.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 NT$37.2K

$940 NT$29.6K

25.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$863 NT$27.2K

$681 NT$21.4K

26.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.8K NT$528.0K

$4,727 NT$148.9K

254.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,937 NT$313.1K

$3,275 NT$103.2K

203.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,432 NT$76.6K

$1,509 NT$47.6K

61.16%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Zhubei City and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zhubei City pays 61% 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 $394 vs $385, 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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,119 vs $1,149 including rent). Zhubei City is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Zhubei City pays 61% more on average, 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: $427 in Zhubei City versus $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $690 in Zhubei City versus $431 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 $1,119 in Zhubei City versus $1,149 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 3% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.