How much does it cost to live in Taiwan?

CostLiving tracks Taiwan at $1,170 a month on a tight budget, $1,950 at the moderate tier, and $3,025 for a comfortable single-person lifestyle. Taipei runs above the national benchmark at $2,125 a month moderate, with the gap concentrated entirely in rent: housing costs $726 a month at Taipei’s moderate tier versus $582 nationally, while nearly everything else costs the same island-wide thanks to short distances and uniform pricing. The composition is what surprises newcomers. Food is a bargain that borders on structural, $441 a month at the moderate tier buys a life of night markets, beef noodle shops and 7-Eleven engineering, and plenty of residents barely cook. Health insurance through the NHI system is famously cheap and excellent once you’re enrolled, removing a line that dominates American budgets. Transport is nearly free by Western standards. What costs real money: Taipei apartments (older stock, high prices), cars, and international schools. Move to Taichung, Tainan or Kaohsiung and the national benchmark holds with room to spare. Full tiers on our Taiwan cost of living page.