Living in Kaohsiung: Taiwan's warm harbor city on about $1,300 a month
What it costs, how safe it is, what the weather does, and how Americans settle in or retire in southern Taiwan.
- 2,713,032
- Population (2026)
- $1,300/mo
- Monthly budget · single
- 75°F / 24°C
- Avg temperature
Plan on roughly $1,300 a month for one person in Kaohsiung, $2,000 for a couple and $2,900 for a family of four, in U.S. dollars as of 2026. A one-bedroom in the center rents for about $450, or around $350 farther out, and a simple meal out runs about $4.
That money buys a city of about 2.7 million people with a working harbor, a metro, a light rail loop and winters warm enough that January highs average near 73F. Kaohsiung suits remote workers and others paid in dollars, people who want a big city at a slower pace than Taipei, and anyone who'd rather trade the north's winter rain for sun.
Here's the catch: summer is long, hot and wet, and the expat scene is quieter than Taipei's, so a little Mandarin goes a long way. If you can live with both, you get Taiwan's safety and healthcare at a lower monthly cost than many Americans expect.
Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 · 4 min read
At a glance
$1,300
Monthly budget · single person
$450/mo 1-bed rent, center
83/100
Safety index
$25
Internet / month
75°Fannual average
Jan 65° · Jul 82°
Climate
2,713,032
Population (2026)
Expatsi estimates, updated Oct 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Cost of living
What it costs to live in Kaohsiung
Single person
$1,100–$1,500/mo
about 60% below Austin, TX
Couple
$1,600–$2,400/mo
about 55% below Austin, TX
Family of four
$2,400–$3,400/mo
about 65% below Austin, TX
Compared with Austin, TX (Expatsi estimate, 2026).
- $4 −80%
- Inexpensive meal
- $350–$550/mo −77%
- 1-bed rent, center
- $250–$400/mo −74%
- 1-bed rent, outside
- $25/mo −62%
- Internet
- $15/mo −64%
- Transit pass
- $353/sq ft −46%
- Buy price, center
Expatsi estimates, updated Oct 2026, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Daily life
How Kaohsiung lives
- A- grade, 74th percentile among the cities we track
- Dining & cafésstrong
- B grade, 53rd percentile among the cities we track
- Arts & culturetypical
- B- grade, 38th percentile among the cities we track
- Parks & outdoorstypical
- B grade, 46th percentile among the cities we track
- Schools & educationtypical
- B- grade, 37th percentile among the cities we track
- Healthcare accesstypical
- A- grade, 76th percentile among the cities we track
- Bike infrastructurestrong
- A- grade, 79th percentile among the cities we track
- Public transitstrong
- A+ grade, good physical accessibility
- Accessibilitygood
Graded on OpenStreetMap amenity density relative to the 298 cities we track. Accessibility is the exception: it's graded against a fixed standard (terrain steepness and sidewalk surfaces), not a curve.
Climate
Weather through the year
Annual average 75°F (24°C) · 74 in of rain a year · Source: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (temps: ERA5-Land 0.1°; precip/sunshine: ERA5 best-match; 1991-2020 normals)
On the ground
Scenes from Kaohsiung
Getting around
Transport in Kaohsiung
The metro does most of the work. The Red line runs past Kaohsiung International Airport and through Kaohsiung Main Station up to Zuoying, the stop for High Speed Rail trains north, and the Orange line crosses it in the center. Fares go by distance, from NT$20 to NT$60 a ride (about $0.60 to $1.90 as of 2026), and our data puts a month of getting around at about $15. Tap an EasyCard and skip the ticket machines.
Since January 2024 the Circular light rail has run as a full loop, with stops along the harbor such as Love Pier and the Cruise Terminal. For Cijin Island's beach, the ferry from Gushan crosses in about five minutes and costs NT$20 with a card, well under a dollar.
Do you need a car? Not if you live in the central districts, where the metro, light rail and ferry cover daily errands. A car or scooter starts to earn its keep in the outer districts, or if you want regular weekend runs into the mountains.
- 54/sq mi
- Transit stops
- 40/sq mi
- Bike infrastructure
- 21/sq mi
- Wheelchair-accessible places
Mapped features per square mile from OpenStreetMap.
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Community & practical notes
Settling into Kaohsiung
Finding your people: The foreign community here is smaller and quieter than Taipei's, so you'll build your circle on purpose rather than fall into one. Most newcomers start in expat Facebook groups before they land, then branch out through language classes, gyms and the arts spaces around the harbor.
Healthcare: Taiwan's National Health Insurance is the big draw, with a clinic visit copay of NT$50, about $2. If you work for a Taiwan employer you join from your start date. If you don't, you wait six months of residence first, so bring international coverage for that gap. Hunter Schultz, our healthcare coach, and ExpatInsure can help you plan it. For bigger needs, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Niaosong District runs an International Medical Center for foreign patients and covers 26 specialties.
Working remotely: Home internet runs about $25 a month. Remote work suits Kaohsiung best when your paycheck comes from outside Taiwan, since local wages are set for local costs.
Schools: Kaohsiung American School in Zuoying District teaches Pre-K through 12th grade on an American college-prep curriculum. It's an IB World School and accredited by WASC.
LGBTQ expats: Same-sex marriage is legal in Taiwan. Kaohsiung holds its own Pride, separate from Taipei's. The November 2025 march drew tens of thousands in Fengshan District. Activists still push on transgender rights, so trans readers should look into Taiwan's rules for their own situation.
Black Americans: We couldn't find a first-hand account from a Black American living in Kaohsiung specifically. One Black American teacher who moved to Taiwan wrote that she picked it after reading it was safe for women and Black people, and she leaned on expat Facebook groups to hear from others first. That's good advice here too: with a smaller foreign community, ask Black expats already living in southern Taiwan before you commit.
Limited mobility: Every metro station is wheelchair accessible, and the underground ones have full-height platform screen doors. The central city sits close to sea level and is mostly flat, which helps. Street-level conditions vary by block, so walk your daily route in person and check that an apartment building has an elevator before you sign.
Retirement: Kaohsiung's mild winters and lower costs make it appealing for retirees, but Taiwan has no dedicated retirement visa, and pension income doesn't count toward the Gold Card's salary test. Retirees who qualify usually do so through past salary: about $5,030 a month before tax as of 2026 (Taiwan sets it at NT$160,000), shown on a tax statement from the last three years. Our retirement visa guide compares countries with an easier route, and our Taiwan moving guide walks through every option for the island.
Housing
Renting and buying
- 1-bed rent (center)
- $350–$550/mo
- 1-bed rent (outside center)
- $250–$400/mo
- Buy price (center)
- $353/sq ft
- Buy price (outside center)
- $251/sq ft
Expatsi estimates, based on rental listings, government statistics, and local reporting.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Can I retire in Kaohsiung as an American?
It's possible but not simple. Taiwan has no retirement visa, and Social Security or a pension doesn't count toward its Employment Gold Card. Americans can visit visa-free for up to 90 days. To stay longer, retirees usually qualify for the Gold Card on past salary, about $5,030 a month before tax as of 2026 (NT$160,000), shown on a tax statement from the last three years.
Is Kaohsiung safe for Americans?
Yes. Kaohsiung scores 83 out of 100 on our safety index. The U.S. State Department rates Taiwan as a whole at Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, its lowest advisory level, as of its November 2025 update. The bigger day-to-day risks are natural ones: typhoon season runs from May to November, and Taiwan sits in an earthquake zone.
What is the weather like in Kaohsiung?
Warm all year. Kaohsiung averages about 75F across the year, and even in January average highs sit near 73F. Summers are hot and wet: July highs average about 87F, and August alone brings around 15 inches of rain on average. Winter is the dry season, which is when most newcomers like to scout the city.
Is Kaohsiung a good place to move with kids?
It can be. A family of four spends about $2,900 a month in Kaohsiung as of 2026. Kaohsiung American School in Zuoying District teaches Pre-K through 12th grade on an American college-prep curriculum and is an IB World School accredited by WASC. The metro is wheelchair and stroller friendly, with every station accessible.
How do Americans get health insurance in Kaohsiung?
Most foreign residents join Taiwan's National Health Insurance, where a clinic visit costs NT$50, about $2. If you work for a Taiwan employer, you're covered from your start date. Without a Taiwan employer, you wait six months of residence before you can enroll, so plan on international coverage for those first months.
Do I need to speak Mandarin to live in Kaohsiung?
You can get by without it, but daily life is easier with some. Taiwan scores 40 out of 100 on our English proficiency measure, and the foreign community in Kaohsiung is smaller than in Taipei, so landlords, offices and neighbors may not speak much English. Many newcomers take Mandarin classes in their first year.
What is the cost of living in Kaohsiung, Taiwan?
As of 2026, one person spends about $1,300 a month in Kaohsiung, with most budgets landing between $1,100 and $1,500. A couple needs about $2,000 a month and a family of four about $2,900. A one-bedroom apartment in the center rents for around $450 a month.
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