Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Taipei 2 vs Takamatsu 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Taipei | Takamatsu | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | NT$ 130$4.13 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Taipei โ39% |
| Street food1 item | NT$ 70$2.22 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Taipei โ34% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | NT$ 500$15.9 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Taipei โ22% |
| Coffeeone cup | NT$ 130$4.13 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Takamatsu โ18% |
| Beerone bottle | NT$ 150$4.76 | ยฅ 550$3.72 | Takamatsu โ22% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | NT$ 350$11.1 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Takamatsu โ64% |
| Bottled water | NT$ 25$0.79 | ยฅ 120$0.81 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | NT$ 30$0.95 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Taipei โ22% |
| Taxi5 km in town | NT$ 190$6.03 | ยฅ 2,100$14.2 | Taipei โ57% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | NT$ 115$3.65 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Taipei โ46% |
| Transitone ride | NT$ 20$0.63 | ยฅ 200$1.35 | Taipei โ53% |
| Scooter rentalper day | NT$ 500$15.9 | ยฅ 800$5.41 | Takamatsu โ66% |
| Hotel night3-star | NT$ 2,500$79.4 | ยฅ 10,000$67.6 | Takamatsu โ15% |
| Studio rent (month) | NT$ 22,000$698 | ยฅ 60,000$405 | Takamatsu โ42% |
| Laundry | NT$ 120$3.81 | ยฅ 800$5.41 | Taipei โ30% |
| SIM card1 week data | NT$ 450$14.3 | ยฅ 3,000$20.3 | Taipei โ30% |
| Haircutcut | NT$ 300$9.52 | ยฅ 1,400$9.46 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | NT$ 1,000$31.7 | ยฅ 5,000$33.8 | Taipei โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | NT$ 1,500$47.6 | ยฅ 5,000$33.8 | Takamatsu โ29% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | NT$ 350$11.1 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Takamatsu โ70% |
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%+.
Taipei is 5% cheaper than Takamatsu. Daily budget $134 vs $154; a month $2,435 vs $2,334.
About the same: Taipei 1.8/5, Takamatsu 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Taipei is about $2,435 and Takamatsu about $2,334 per month.
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.