Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhubei City and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhubei City: $1,029 a month against $1,330 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Zhubei City
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Zhubei City Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Zhubei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,029

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,330

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zhubei 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 Zhubei City and in Taipei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,029 per month in Zhubei City vs $1,330 in Taipei, rent included.

Zhubei City $1,029
Taipei $1,330

A couple spends around $1,814 per month in Zhubei City vs $2,145 in Taipei, rent included.

Zhubei City $1,814
Taipei $2,145

A family of three spends $2,599 per month in Zhubei City vs $2,959 in Taipei, rent included.

Zhubei City $2,599
Taipei $2,959

Zhubei City is about 23% cheaper than Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Zhubei City and Taipei are more affordable than the global median – Zhubei City 24% lower, Taipei 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.73 NT$154

$4.70 NT$152

0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.28 NT$885

$46.13 NT$1,496

-40.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 NT$166

$5.80 NT$188

-11.90%

Cappuccino

$2.79 NT$90.3

$3.37 NT$109

-17.21%

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

$0.91 NT$29.35

$0.91 NT$29.44

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 NT$18.52

$0.66 NT$21.46

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 NT$60.3

$2.98 NT$96.6

-37.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NT$71.5

$3.64 NT$118

-39.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.76 NT$89.6

$2.95 NT$95.7

-6.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.5

$1.92 NT$62.4

-7.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NT$146

$3.10 NT$100

45.16%

Eggs

$2.74 NT$88.8

$2.62 NT$84.8

4.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.58 NT$797

$19.04 NT$617

29.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 NT$264

$9.54 NT$309

-14.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.77 NT$803

$20.87 NT$677

18.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 NT$132

$4.72 NT$153

-13.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 NT$79.1

$3.33 NT$108

-26.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NT$88.4

$2.95 NT$95.6

-7.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 NT$107

$4.26 NT$138

-22.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 NT$98.8

$2.75 NT$89.3

10.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 NT$65.3

$2.22 NT$72.1

-9.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$64.0

$1.66 NT$53.8

18.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$42.76

$1.08 NT$34.89

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 NT$128

$3.95 NT$128

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 NT$295

$13.89 NT$450

-34.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NT$45.63

$1.58 NT$51.4

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NT$73.1

$2.18 NT$70.6

3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 NT$19.08

$0.58 NT$18.88

1.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.25 NT$1,175

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 NT$100

$2.54 NT$82.2

21.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 NT$18.99

$0.75 NT$24.31

-21.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.28 NT$301

$8.99 NT$292

3.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$33.14

$1.00 NT$32.44

2.00%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$34.6K NT$1.1M

-4.04%

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

$24.0K NT$778.9K

$23.0K NT$746.8K

4.30%

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

$98.5 NT$3,194

$85.6 NT$2,775

15.07%

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

$18.80 NT$610

$16.94 NT$549

10.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.96 NT$745

$26.94 NT$874

-14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.27 NT$1,014

$39.55 NT$1,283

-20.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.36 NT$498

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 NT$323

$9.72 NT$315

2.37%

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

$642 NT$20.8K

$710 NT$23.0K

-9.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K NT$534.1K

$16.3K NT$529.8K

0.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 NT$1,820

$62.0 NT$2,010

-9.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.46 NT$988

$39.30 NT$1,274

-22.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 NT$2,910

$84.1 NT$2,727

6.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 NT$3,189

$102 NT$3,298

-3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 NT$16.1K

$961 NT$31.1K

-48.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 NT$6,735

$456 NT$14.8K

-54.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 NT$34.4K

$1,511 NT$49.0K

-29.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 NT$25.2K

$919 NT$29.8K

-15.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K NT$511.9K

$11.4K NT$369.9K

38.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,406 NT$305.0K

$6,882 NT$223.2K

36.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 NT$77.6K

$1,703 NT$55.2K

40.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

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

Last update for Zhubei City: October 26, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhubei City

$392 38.1%

Taipei

$388 29.2% 1% $4.1

Accommodation & Living

Zhubei City

$208 20.2%

Taipei

$456 34.3% 119% $248

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhubei City

$140 13.6%

Taipei

$129 9.7% 7.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Zhubei City

$124 12%

Taipei

$129 9.7% 4.5% $5.6

Eating Out

Zhubei City

$106 10.3%

Taipei

$124 9.3% 16.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Zhubei City

$51 5%

Taipei

$59 4.4% 15.2% $7.8

Getting Around

Zhubei City

$8.4 * 0.8%

Taipei

$45 3.4% 436% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Zhubei City versus $961 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 41% higher in Zhubei 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 $27 in Zhubei City versus $46 in Taipei. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Zhubei City vs $388 in Taipei – so Taipei wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Zhubei City

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

Same time as Zhubei City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,746

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.77 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Zhubei City Taipei 61 km

From you

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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

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

Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,544 per month in Zhubei City and $1,995 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhubei City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $495 there versus $961 in Taipei.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Zhubei City and $46 in Taipei. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $642 per month in Zhubei City and $710 in Taipei. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,029 in Zhubei City and $1,330 in Taipei. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Zhubei 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.