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Kaohsiung vs Taichung cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐น๐ผ Kaohsiung
๐น๐ผ Taichung
At a glance
- Where Taichung is clearly cheaper: Transit (20%โ)
- Where Kaohsiung is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (33%โ), Restaurant dinner (18%โ), Haircut (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kaohsiung | Taichung | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | NT$ 150$4.76 | NT$ 150$4.76 | similar |
| Street food1 item | NT$ 80$2.54 | NT$ 70$2.22 | Taichung โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | NT$ 450$14.3 | NT$ 550$17.5 | Kaohsiung โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | NT$ 120$3.81 | NT$ 120$3.81 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | NT$ 110$3.49 | NT$ 120$3.81 | Kaohsiung โ8% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | NT$ 350$11.1 | NT$ 300$9.52 | Taichung โ14% |
| Bottled water | NT$ 20$0.63 | NT$ 20$0.63 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | NT$ 35$1.11 | NT$ 35$1.11 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | NT$ 190$6.03 | NT$ 190$6.03 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | NT$ 110$3.49 | NT$ 110$3.49 | similar |
| Transitone ride | NT$ 25$0.79 | NT$ 20$0.63 | Taichung โ20% |
| Scooter rentalper day | NT$ 400$12.7 | NT$ 600$19 | Kaohsiung โ33% |
| Hotel night3-star | NT$ 2,300$73 | NT$ 2,200$69.8 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | NT$ 12,500$397 | NT$ 12,000$381 | similar |
| Laundry | NT$ 100$3.17 | NT$ 100$3.17 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | NT$ 450$14.3 | NT$ 500$15.9 | Kaohsiung โ10% |
| Haircutcut | NT$ 250$7.94 | NT$ 300$9.52 | Kaohsiung โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | NT$ 750$23.8 | NT$ 800$25.4 | Kaohsiung โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | NT$ 1,500$47.6 | NT$ 1,500$47.6 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | NT$ 100$3.17 | NT$ 100$3.17 | similar |
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, Kaohsiung or Taichung?
Kaohsiung and Taichung cost about the same. Daily budget $126 vs $127; a month $1,743 vs $1,752.
Which is easier to travel, Kaohsiung or Taichung?
About the same: Kaohsiung 2.2/5, Taichung 2.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kaohsiung and Taichung?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kaohsiung is about $1,743 and Taichung about $1,752 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.