Cost of Living & Salary Comparison 2026
Overall, Beijing is approximately 3% cheaper than Taipei based on our cost of living index. Beijing has a COLI of 43.5 (ranked #62 of 113 cities), while Taipei has a COLI of 44.8 (ranked #61).
When it comes to housing, one-bedroom apartment rent in Beijing averages $1,000/month compared to $800/month in Taipei. That makes Taipei approximately 20% cheaper for rent alone.
Taipei has lower total deductions (13.5%) compared to Beijing (34.8%), meaning you keep more of your gross salary in Taipei. When evaluating a relocation, remember that total deductions directly impact your take-home pay and should be weighed alongside cost of living differences.
Full breakdown of mandatory payroll deductions for a mid-range salary as a local employee in each city.
Rates shown for local employees. Expat deductions may differ — use the main converter for personalized calculations.
If you earn ¥504,895 in Beijing, you would need approximately NT$2,442,875 in Taipei to maintain the same purchasing power. That is 3% more due to higher cost of living.
COLI-scaled lifestyle equivalents of New York mid-range salaries — not local market pay. For verified/OECD local-market figures see salary pages.
| Job Title | Beijing (CNY) | Taipei (TWD) |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor (General) | ¥527,110 | NT$2,550,361 |
| Software Engineer | ¥248,913 | NT$1,204,337 |
| Product Manager | ¥292,839 | NT$1,416,867 |
| Lawyer | ¥292,839 | NT$1,416,867 |
| Data Scientist | ¥278,197 | NT$1,346,024 |
| Marketing Manager | ¥210,844 | NT$1,020,145 |
| Teacher | ¥140,563 | NT$680,096 |
| Nurse | ¥169,847 | NT$821,783 |
These are COLI lifestyle equivalents of the New York mid baseline, not typical local market pay. See methodology and profession×city salary pages for market figures with source badges.
| Neighborhood | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Chaoyang (CBD) | 1.28x (+28%) |
| Chaoyang (Sanlitun) | 1.25x (+25%) |
| Dongcheng | 1.22x (+22%) |
| Guomao | 1.22x (+22%) |
| Xicheng | 1.18x (+18%) |
| Neighborhood | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Xinyi | 1.30x (+30%) |
| Da'an | 1.25x (+25%) |
| Zhongshan | 1.12x (+12%) |
| Zhongzheng | 1.10x (+10%) |
| Songshan | 1.08x (+8%) |
Use our converter with 2,400+ neighborhood adjustments for a precise salary comparison
Open Salary ConverterTaipei is more expensive overall. Beijing has a COLI of 43.5 while Taipei has a COLI of 44.8, making Beijing approximately 3% cheaper.
To maintain the same standard of living as ¥504,895 in Beijing, you would need approximately NT$2,442,875 in Taipei.
Average one-bedroom rent in Beijing is $1,000/month compared to $800/month in Taipei. Taipei has lower rent by approximately 20%.
Taipei has lower total deductions (13.5%) compared to Beijing (34.8%), meaning you keep more of your gross salary in Taipei.
Cost of living indices (COLI) are benchmarked to New York City = 100 and derived from Numbeo and Expatistan crowd-sourced price surveys, cross-referenced with national statistics agencies. Rent data from Numbeo Property Prices.
Salary ranges are compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OES), Glassdoor, and PayScale. Tax rates are approximate effective rates for mid-range earners based on OECD Taxing Wages and national tax authorities. Exchange rates from the European Central Bank. Neighborhood multipliers are estimated from local rental indices and property data.
Last updated: 2026-08-31. Data is refreshed periodically. All figures are estimates for informational purposes only.