Retirement Lists

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Skyline of Kaohsiung, Taiwan at night taken in 2020

Kaohsiung cost of living

Kaohsiung's budget needs a home price, a household plan, and room for the unknowns

Kaohsiung does not have a published complete retiree budget in the city comparison. The local planning ledger lists $513 for estimated one bedroom rent, $29 for utilities, $134 for groceries, $117 for restaurants and accommodation spending, and $58 for transportation. Comfortable living, couple, minimum needed, dining, need for a car, and overall cost feel are Not available, so these lines should start a budget rather than finish one.

Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior median whole dwelling rent is NT$12,000 per month for the first half of 2025. Kaohsiung DGBAS reported annual household consumption of NT$878,620 in 2024, including NT$190,023 for housing and utilities, NT$133,418 for health, NT$68,028 for transport, and NT$142,013 for restaurants and accommodation. A household should compare those references with the actual home, care, travel, taxes, and support it expects to use.

Planning a monthly budget

The available Kaohsiung lines are useful only after the home, household size, care needs, and travel pattern are priced together.

The lower reference rent does not settle the address question

The estimated $513 one bedroom rent and the Taiwan Ministry of the Interior median of NT$12,000 for the first half of 2025 describe different reference points. A particular home may add deposits, management fees, repairs, furniture, internet, cooling, drainage, insurance, or a longer trip to care and groceries.

Price the home with its repeated journeys. Compare a station walk in humid weather, the route to a pharmacy, a preferred hospital, a market, the airport, and the places family would use. A lower rent can ask more from time, taxis, transfers, or energy.

How the total can change

A solo retiree, a couple, and a month with family visitors can place different pressure on rent, food, care, transport, and the home itself.

Estimated 1BR Rent
$513/mo

Everyday expenses

Utilities, groceries, meals, transport, health, communication, and recreation become real through the address and the places the household returns to.

Median Whole Dwelling Rent (2025 H1)
NT$12,000/mo
Utilities
$29/mo
Groceries
$134/mo
Restaurants & Accommodation Spending
$117/mo
Transportation
$58/mo
Property Taxes
1.0%–4.8% of assessed house value
National Consumer Price Inflation
1.66% (2025)
Household Consumption Expenditure (2024)
NT$878,620 / household / year
Food and Non Alcoholic Beverages (2024)
NT$122,636 / household / year
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (2024)
NT$190,023 / household / year
Health (2024)
NT$133,418 / household / year
Transport (2024)
NT$68,028 / household / year
Information and Communication (2024)
NT$33,189 / household / year
Recreation, Sport and Culture (2024)
NT$27,965 / household / year
Education Services (2024)
NT$21,556 / household / year
Restaurants and Accommodation Services (2024)
NT$142,013 / household / year

Health and transport can change the month more than one food line

The DGBAS health line is NT$133,418 and the transport line is NT$68,028 for 2024 annual household consumption. Those figures are not a personal forecast, but they point to expenses that can become larger when a retiree needs recurring treatment, a different hospital, taxis during rain, or help returning home.

The restaurants and accommodation line is NT$142,013, while the local planning line is $117. Keep the two figures separate because they describe different reference systems. Add the restaurants, family visits, airport travel, recreation, communication, and care choices the household will actually make.

Kaohsiung in everyday life

Could Kaohsiung work for you?

What may work well

  • The published $513 estimated one bedroom rent, $29 utilities, $134 groceries, $117 restaurants and accommodation spending, and $58 transportation provide useful starting lines.
  • The Taiwan Ministry of the Interior median whole dwelling rent gives a dated NT$12,000 monthly reference for the first half of 2025.
  • Kaohsiung DGBAS household figures make housing, health, transport, communication, recreation, and food visible as separate decisions.
  • Airport and Metro information can help a household connect recurring trips before choosing the home.

What to think about

  • Comfortable living, couple, minimum needed, dining, car need, and overall cost feel are Not available in the city comparison.
  • The $513 rent line, the NT$12,000 dated median, and the DGBAS household figures describe different reference systems.
  • Care, language, family visits, cooling, flooding, insurance, and transport can change the month beyond the smaller published lines.
  • Property taxes are listed as 1.0 percent to 4.8 percent of assessed house value, but the household should confirm the current assessed value and rule for the home.

Before you trust the Kaohsiung monthly references

  1. Price the actual home

    Add rent, deposits, management fees, utilities, cooling, internet, maintenance, insurance, furniture, drainage, and the cost of reaching groceries and care.

  2. Run the household versions

    Price a solo month, a couple month, and a visitor month with separate prescriptions, food, health, airport, language, and support needs.

  3. Compare local and household references

    Keep the $513 estimated rent, NT$12,000 first half of 2025 median, and 2024 DGBAS household lines labeled as different planning references.

  4. Keep care and movement visible

    Add hospital, pharmacy, specialist, Metro, taxi, airport, family, and bad weather trips before deciding what the household can carry.

Questions retirees ask

What is the monthly cost to live in Kaohsiung?

A complete retiree budget is Not available. The city comparison lists $513 estimated one bedroom rent, $29 utilities, $134 groceries, $117 restaurants and accommodation spending, and $58 transportation. Add the actual home, care, insurance, travel, taxes, and personal spending.

What is the Taiwan rent reference for Kaohsiung?

The Taiwan Ministry of the Interior median whole dwelling rent is NT$12,000 per month for the first half of 2025. It is a dated reference and not a guaranteed lease offer for a particular Kaohsiung home.

What does Kaohsiung household spending show?

Kaohsiung DGBAS reported annual household consumption of NT$878,620 in 2024. Housing and utilities, health, transport, food, communication, recreation, and restaurants are separate lines, so use the figures to ask better household questions rather than treating them as a retiree budget.

Does Kaohsiung have a published comfortable retirement budget?

No. Comfortable living, couple, minimum needed, dining, need for a car, and overall cost feel are Not available in the city comparison. The available local and household reference lines need to be combined with the home and care plan.

What should I add before choosing a home?

Add deposits, management fees, cooling, internet, maintenance, insurance, property taxes, prescriptions, care travel, language help, airport trips, transfers, taxis, and support at home. Then compare the result with the actual household you expect to live.

Kaohsiung can fit a retiree financially when the reference lines are treated honestly and the home, care, transport, taxes, and family plan are priced together. Run the household versions, then use Save, Compare, or Find my fit.

Sources

The budget value gives a starting point for everyday spending. Housing, healthcare, safety, and climate can change what feels comfortable for a household.

Housing mix, exchange rates, healthcare needs, car ownership, and travel style can move a real monthly budget materially.

Not yet available for this place: Comfortable Living, Cost of Living for Couple, Minimum Needed, Dining Out, Need for a Car, Overall Feel.

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