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Chengdu vs Kaohsiung cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ณ Chengdu
๐น๐ผ Kaohsiung
At a glance
- Where Kaohsiung is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (59%โ)
- Where Chengdu is clearly cheaper: Transit (65%โ), Taxi (58%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (56%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Chengdu 4 vs Kaohsiung 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Chengdu | Kaohsiung | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฅ 30$4.23 | NT$ 150$4.76 | Chengdu โ11% |
| Street food1 item | ยฅ 12$1.69 | NT$ 80$2.54 | Chengdu โ33% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฅ 90$12.7 | NT$ 450$14.3 | Chengdu โ11% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฅ 28$3.94 | NT$ 120$3.81 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | ยฅ 25$3.52 | NT$ 110$3.49 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฅ 70$9.86 | NT$ 350$11.1 | Chengdu โ11% |
| Bottled water | ยฅ 3$0.42 | NT$ 20$0.63 | Chengdu โ33% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฅ 5$0.7 | NT$ 35$1.11 | Chengdu โ37% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฅ 18$2.54 | NT$ 190$6.03 | Chengdu โ58% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฅ 11$1.55 | NT$ 110$3.49 | Chengdu โ56% |
| Transitone ride | ยฅ 2$0.28 | NT$ 25$0.79 | Chengdu โ65% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฅ 52.5$7.39 | NT$ 400$12.7 | Chengdu โ42% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฅ 320$45.1 | NT$ 2,300$73 | Chengdu โ38% |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฅ 3,000$423 | NT$ 12,500$397 | Kaohsiung โ6% |
| Laundry | ยฅ 14$1.97 | NT$ 100$3.17 | Chengdu โ38% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฅ 80$11.3 | NT$ 450$14.3 | Chengdu โ21% |
| Haircutcut | ยฅ 40$5.63 | NT$ 250$7.94 | Chengdu โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฅ 120$16.9 | NT$ 750$23.8 | Chengdu โ29% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฅ 250$35.2 | NT$ 1,500$47.6 | Chengdu โ26% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฅ 55$7.75 | NT$ 100$3.17 | Kaohsiung โ59% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Chengdu or Kaohsiung?
Chengdu is 21% cheaper than Kaohsiung. Daily budget $85.2 vs $126; a month $1,654 vs $1,743.
Which is easier to travel, Chengdu or Kaohsiung?
About the same: Chengdu 2.4/5, Kaohsiung 2.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chengdu and Kaohsiung?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chengdu is about $1,654 and Kaohsiung about $1,743 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.