Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Keelung Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucharest and Keelung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,354 in Bucharest versus $1,294 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,145 in Bucharest versus $2,068 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,936 in Bucharest versus $2,843 in Keelung.

Living in Bucharest is roughly 5% more expensive than Keelung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bucharest is 1% above, Keelung is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 RON 60.0

$5.01 NT$158

175.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 RON 298

$29.90 NT$944

129.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.85 RON 34.13

$5.54 NT$175

41.70%

Cappuccino

$3.39 RON 14.74

$2.93 NT$92.6

15.70%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 RON 10.13

$1.15 NT$36.16

102.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 RON 9.97

$0.78 NT$24.74

193.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 RON 15.09

$2.16 NT$68.3

60.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 RON 17.31

$2.84 NT$89.8

40.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 RON 7.52

$3.34 NT$106

-48.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 RON 5.87

$1.51 NT$47.55

-10.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 RON 8.32

$1.18 NT$37.31

61.86%

Eggs

$3.49 RON 15.17

$2.42 NT$76.5

44.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 RON 41.64

$31.90 NT$1,007

-70.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 RON 30.31

$6.04 NT$191

15.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.12 RON 52.7

$16.02 NT$506

-24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 RON 6.05

$4.58 NT$144

-69.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 RON 7.44

$1.81 NT$57.2

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 RON 8.01

$2.29 NT$72.2

-19.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 RON 10.90

$3.07 NT$96.8

-18.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 RON 4.36

$1.34 NT$42.21

-25.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 RON 4.17

$1.86 NT$58.8

-48.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 RON 3.97

$2.32 NT$73.2

-60.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 RON 3.89

$1.25 NT$39.44

-28.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 RON 27.61

$3.96 NT$125

60.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.02 RON 30.55

$9.74 NT$308

-27.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 RON 5.53

$1.18 NT$37.14

7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 RON 8.40

$2.63 NT$82.9

-26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 RON 4.93

$0.52 NT$16.50

117.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 RON 83.4

$66.7 NT$2,105

-71.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.67 RON 2.92

$2.80 NT$88.5

-76.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 RON 2.61

$1.18 NT$37.20

-49.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 RON 29.82

$10.33 NT$326

-33.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 RON 7.50

$1.01 NT$31.90

70.30%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K RON 126.4K

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-14.12%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$30.3K RON 131.8K

$26.3K NT$829.4K

15.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$181 RON 786

$43.89 NT$1,386

311.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.87 RON 38.60

$24.95 NT$788

-64.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.10 RON 48.28

$12.06 NT$381

-7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 RON 239

$37.38 NT$1,180

46.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.47 RON 128

$33.82 NT$1,068

-12.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.16 RON 39.86

$8.45 NT$267

8.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$658 RON 2,861

$357 NT$11.3K

84.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K RON 62.2K

$21.1K NT$666.2K

-32.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 RON 356

$84.0 NT$2,653

-2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.07 RON 196

$34.88 NT$1,101

29.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 RON 399

$51.5 NT$1,625

78.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 RON 471

$33.41 NT$1,055

224.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 RON 2,798

$617 NT$19.5K

4.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 RON 1,927

$506 NT$16.0K

-12.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 RON 5,781

$1,138 NT$35.9K

16.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$844 RON 3,672

$998 NT$31.5K

-15.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,172 RON 18.2K

$3,451 NT$108.9K

20.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 RON 9,997

$2,362 NT$74.6K

-2.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,515 RON 6,589

$2,442 NT$77.1K

-37.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

2.18

225.69%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bucharest: April 28, 2026

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Bucharest and $617 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Bucharest vs $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $233 vs $358, with Bucharest cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bucharest vs Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest and Keelung differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,354 vs $1,294 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 61% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $643 in Bucharest versus $617 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,354 per month in Bucharest versus $1,294 in Keelung – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Keelung runs roughly 248% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,294 in Keelung versus $1,354 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. The gap between the two cities makes Keelung the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bucharest and Keelung are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Keelung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.