Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Kinmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Kinmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,155 in Kinmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,950 in Chiayi versus $1,889 in Kinmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,751 in Chiayi versus $2,623 in Kinmen.

Monthly costs are close between Chiayi and Kinmen; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiayi 14% lower, Kinmen 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.71 NT$217

$5.05 NT$164

32.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.61 NT$1,314

$30.53 NT$988

33.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 NT$190

$5.34 NT$173

10.11%

Cappuccino

$2.24 NT$72.3

$2.91 NT$94.2

-23.02%

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

$1.16 NT$37.65

$1.04 NT$33.62

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$25.03

$0.72 NT$23.33

6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.82 NT$58.9

3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 NT$96.5

$2.72 NT$88.0

9.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$104

$3.30 NT$107

-2.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$61.4

$1.91 NT$61.7

-0.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.0

$2.80 NT$90.6

8.21%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$94.4

$2.87 NT$92.8

1.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.98 NT$646

$19.07 NT$617

4.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 NT$320

$7.97 NT$258

24.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 NT$650

$16.83 NT$544

19.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 NT$166

$4.57 NT$148

12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.8

$2.46 NT$79.5

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 NT$89.2

$2.69 NT$87.0

2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 NT$133

$3.55 NT$115

16.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$91.6

$2.74 NT$88.5

3.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NT$70.4

$2.17 NT$70.2

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NT$60.7

$2.07 NT$67.0

-9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$43.00

$1.24 NT$40.07

7.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 NT$131

$3.98 NT$129

2.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 NT$155

$13.36 NT$432

-64.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NT$58.1

$1.74 NT$56.3

2.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$78.5

$2.49 NT$80.6

-2.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$27.12

$0.86 NT$27.94

-2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 NT$1,280

$39.11 NT$1,265

1.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 NT$94.7

$2.96 NT$95.8

-1.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 NT$13.46

$0.78 NT$25.18

-46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NT$324

$10.32 NT$334

-2.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.62

$1.02 NT$33.09

1.96%

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

$37.9K NT$1.2M

$35.4K NT$1.1M

6.92%

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

$27.4K NT$885.2K

$26.2K NT$847.9K

4.39%

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

$72.4 NT$2,342

$85.0 NT$2,750

-14.85%

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

$19.02 NT$615

$24.67 NT$798

-22.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.90 NT$806

$22.62 NT$732

10.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 NT$1,207

$36.79 NT$1,190

1.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 NT$496

$15.01 NT$486

2.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NT$388

$10.31 NT$334

16.20%

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

$644 NT$20.8K

$420 NT$13.6K

53.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K NT$597.2K

$15.5K NT$500.9K

19.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NT$1,910

$84.2 NT$2,722

-29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.77 NT$1,060

$34.58 NT$1,119

-5.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 NT$2,974

$90.0 NT$2,910

2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,994

$101 NT$3,257

22.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 NT$13.8K

$439 NT$14.2K

-3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 NT$9,385

$285 NT$9,217

1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NT$33.7K

$1,022 NT$33.1K

1.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 NT$23.3K

$729 NT$23.6K

-1.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,045 NT$98.5K

$7,837 NT$253.5K

-61.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,834 NT$59.3K

$4,223 NT$136.6K

-56.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,116 NT$68.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

2.18

0.46%

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

Last update for Chiayi: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Chiayi and $439 in Kinmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Chiayi vs $31.00 in Kinmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $365 per month, with Kinmen cheaper across the board.

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

Chiayi vs Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,724 in Chiayi and $1,732 in Kinmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $426 in Chiayi versus $439 in Kinmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $644 in Chiayi versus $420 in Kinmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chiayi – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $31.00 in Kinmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,155 in Kinmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Kinmen. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi 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, Chiayi and Kinmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Chiayi wins on affordability, Kinmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.