Cost of Living in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Updated On May 10, 2022

How Much Does It Cost to Live In Kaohsiung?

Taiwan is so attractive to both tourists and settlers, due to the fact that it is a beautiful and stunning country and that you can definitely make enough money there.

In Kaohsiung, you will be able to cover your expenses and also save money, which is every person’s dream.

If that is your goal, it is advisable to take a look at the possible expenses so that you can see approximately how much it costs to live here.

Cost of Living Index:
56.44
* Based on Research & User Data

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Cost of Living in Taiwan
Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

Spending money in restaurants by eating regular meals would make a hole in your budget, but it is not unaffordable to visit them from time to time.

However, going out to nice and expensive places would definitely cause spending more so you could probably cut this cost by half if you only get cheap meals.

Markets

MARKETS

Mentioning about quality of life, it is true that here you will have a high salary, but it is good to know that more than 50% of it will be spent on food.

Purchasing it wisely would help you save some amount of money on it, but it will still be the greatest expense in Kaohsiung.

Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

If you take a monthly pass and use public transport to commute every day to and from work, you will save quite a lot of money than if you buy daily tickets.

A scooter is a better option than a car, but you should be prepared to pay for gasoline, repairs and insurance which are not cheap.

Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

In general, it can be said that service costs are not too high, being that all the basic utilities cots $50, which is the price of just the Internet in some other countries.

Electricity costs can range pretty dramatically between the seasons, as it is necessary to use air conditioning during summer months.

Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

Besides these regular expenses, every month there are random expenses that come up such as going to the movies, doing sports or any other entertaining activity and this is one of the easiest ways to spend money.

Watching latest films would cost you around $7, while one hour of tennis is approximately $10.

Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

Due to the fact that Asia is famous for low cost clothing items, designer clothes are only for those with monthly salary higher than the average.

Branded apparel is not too expensive, but it is not affordable for those with the minimum salary, and very little amount is spent on this.

Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

Taiwan has one of the highest life quality in Asia with high income and a low living cost, and Kaohsiung is the city where this is proved to be true.

The average salaries are pretty high, while the rent is not, which makes people able to manage this expense successfully and easily which is not the case with the majority of countries.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Kaohsiung

*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.
Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant)$3.24
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter)$1.62
Water (0.33 Liter)$0.52
Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter)$10.56
Loaf Bread (500g)$1.47
Eggs (12)$1.72
Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket$0.73
Monthly Pass$32.43
Gasoline$3.19
Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling)$53.86
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local$0.18
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)$24.58
Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult$41.23
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour)$9.73
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release$7.13
Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable)$61.51
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...)$25.10
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range)$64.86
Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center$250.44
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center$156.07
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center$599.97

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Kaohsiung?

If you want to lead a stable and modest life in Kaohsiung, you should follow the living habits and spendings of its citizens.

This is one of the very few cities where more money is spent on transportation than on the rent.

Nevertheless, half of your salary would go on food, as it is pretty expensive here.

Besides these most important ones, you should consider other expenses such as entertainment, clothing and leisure when planning a budget.

It is interesting to mention that more money is spent on sports than on utilities here.

Average Costs Breakdown

7.9%
50.7%
13.4%
5.5%
6.4%
3.3%
12.7%

Kaohsiung: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

If you have many questions about cost of living in Kaohsiung, that is not unusual, as getting acquainted with the possible expenses would make your life easier and you will be able to determine how much money it would be necessary to provide for yourself and your family.

Living on the budget is possible only if you earn at least the average salary, so if you have a chance to negotiate it with your employer, do not hesitate to ask for the sum that will suit your spendings.

Average Salary$946.84
Minimum Wage$655.7
Mortgage Interest Rate1.84%

Cost of Living by City in Kaohsiung

CityCost of Living Index
Taichung62.23
Taipei65.75

Where to Next?

See these related locations:

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

Cost of Living - Country Index Cost of Living - City Index

1 Review on Kaohsiung

  1. Cost of Living in taiwan very expensive

Kaohsiung Rated 2 / 5 based on 1 user reviews.

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