Why Higher-Floor Apartments Often Cost Less in Taiwan

Highlights

In Taiwan, apartments in five-story walk-up buildings generally become less expensive as the floor rises, unlike luxury buildings where penthouses often command premiums. Excluding first-floor units, which may have extra value from gardens or commercial use, fifth-floor apartments average about 85% of second-floor prices. Across Taiwan, the average difference is approximately NT$52,000 per ping; for a 30-ping apartment, that translates into a total-price gap of more than NT$1.5 million. Kaohsiung has the largest floor-related price gap among the six special municipalities. Lower prices on upper floors come with trade-offs, including stairs, heat, waterproofing concerns, and possible renovation costs. Government support may help residents improve older buildings.

Sentiment Analysis

• The article’s overall tone is neutral and explanatory. It presents housing transaction figures and comments from real-estate professionals to describe how prices vary by floor, rather than recommending a particular purchase.
• There is a modestly positive perspective for buyers with limited budgets: upper-floor units can offer lower purchase prices, and second-floor apartments may balance affordability with easier access. Older central Taipei apartments are also described as potentially attractive because of established amenities, land value, and possible redevelopment prospects.
• The discussion is mixed because the savings are balanced against practical disadvantages. Residents of upper floors must climb stairs, while top-floor homes may face heat, water leakage, and waterproofing issues. Older units can require costly repairs, and unauthorized rooftop additions may be subject to removal if they raise public-safety concerns.
• The article also notes a constructive policy measure: a government plan offers subsidies for elevator installation or repairs to shared spaces in older apartment buildings. The visual indicator therefore reflects a primarily neutral assessment with both opportunities and cautions.

Article Text

Luxury apartments on the top floor often sell for the highest prices in their buildings. Taiwan’s walk-up apartments show a different pattern: prices generally fall as the floor rises. A real-estate industry analysis of Ministry of the Interior transaction data for 2026 compared average per-ping prices across floors in five-story apartments throughout Taiwan and in the six special municipalities. It found that first-floor units were the most expensive overall, while upper floors tended to cost less.

First-floor apartments can serve purposes beyond residential use, such as accommodating a garden or a shop, making them different from units on other floors. Setting those properties aside, and comparing residential apartments from the second through fifth floors, the average price per ping for a fifth-floor unit was about 85% of the average for a second-floor unit. The average price difference between the two floors was about NT$50,000 nationwide.

The reported nationwide averages were approximately NT$183,000 per ping for second-floor apartments and NT$131,000 per ping for fifth-floor apartments. The difference, about NT$52,000 per ping, was slightly above the national average gap cited in the broader comparison. For a 30-ping apartment, that per-ping difference would amount to a total price gap of more than NT$1.5 million. Among the six special municipalities, Kaohsiung had the most pronounced difference between higher- and lower-floor prices.

Chang Hsu-lan, executive director of the Taiwan Realty Group Trends Center, said first-floor apartments often receive higher valuations because of their additional potential uses. For buyers with limited budgets, the second floor can be a more affordable option while still involving less stair-climbing than higher levels. In this sense, it may offer a compromise between price and convenience. As access becomes less convenient on higher floors, prices generally decline.

Taipei City presents a distinct market. Average apartment prices there ranged from NT$560,000 to NT$610,000 per ping, while the average for first-floor apartments reached NT$720,000 per ping. Chang noted that urban renewal and reconstruction of older, unsafe buildings have become common in recent years. Older apartments in desirable areas may benefit from mature local amenities and valuable land, as well as demand for rental and purchase housing. Their potential for future urban renewal or reconstruction can also interest buyers. When value is considered in terms of land ownership, the difference between floors may be less significant. As a result, even apartments requiring daily stair-climbing can appeal to first-time younger buyers with limited budgets or landlords who do not plan to live in the property.

For fifth-floor apartments in the six special municipalities this year, average prices outside Taipei and New Taipei City could still fall in the NT$100,000-per-ping range. In the southern municipalities, prices for floors above the first were all below NT$200,000 per ping, and top-floor units cost only about 70% of second-floor units. Li Chia-ni, a manager at the Taiwan Realty Group Trends Center, attributed the pattern partly to the lower starting price level in southern Taiwan and the increased supply of apartment buildings with elevators in recent years.

Tainan illustrates the competition between older walk-ups and elevator-equipped buildings. A secondhand apartment building about 30 years old may also be available at a price in the NT$100,000-per-ping range. Buyers may therefore find an elevator-equipped home for a similar price, giving them an alternative to accepting the access limitations of a walk-up apartment.

Rooftop additions were common on older apartments and could provide extra usable space, which some buyers considered an advantage. However, greater attention to public safety and stricter enforcement mean rooftop additions that raise safety concerns may face removal orders. Top-floor residents also need to consider stair access, insulation, waterproofing, and possible leaks. If a unit is in poor condition, renovation costs before move-in may further reduce its appeal.

The Ministry of the Interior currently offers an Old House Longevity Program. It provides subsidies for apartment elevator installations and repairs to shared spaces throughout a building, with residents able to apply together. The program offers a way to address some of the accessibility, safety, and maintenance challenges that can make older apartments less attractive.

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