Households in Taiwan paid additional NT$2,610 (just over US$80) in dining-out costs in 2014, making many people here feel the pinch of higher consumer prices at a time when local wages continue to stagnate.
According to figures released by the government statistics office on Saturday, dining-out costs in Taiwan rose 3.61% year-on-year in 2014. This is largely due to rising food prices, which grew 3.74% from the previous year. Higher food and dining-out costs made the relatively lower consumer price index (CPI) growth seem insignificant to some.