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: $1,160 in Chiayi versus $1,155 in Kinmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,967 in Chiayi versus $1,928 in Kinmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,774 in Chiayi versus $2,700 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 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 NT$211

$5.11 NT$162

30.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.85 NT$1,291

$30.12 NT$952

35.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 NT$177

$5.29 NT$167

6.05%

Cappuccino

$2.17 NT$68.7

$2.99 NT$94.6

-27.42%

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

$1.12 NT$35.40

$1.05 NT$33.16

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.90

$0.71 NT$22.53

11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 NT$60.4

$1.81 NT$57.2

5.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NT$97.4

$2.70 NT$85.3

14.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$97.9

$3.28 NT$104

-5.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NT$61.9

$1.94 NT$61.4

1.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$96.7

$2.79 NT$88.2

9.68%

Eggs

$2.93 NT$92.7

$2.91 NT$91.9

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.43 NT$646

$19.11 NT$604

6.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.21 NT$323

$8.01 NT$253

27.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.12 NT$636

$17.24 NT$545

16.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 NT$164

$4.76 NT$151

9.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 NT$94.3

$2.52 NT$79.7

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.3

$2.64 NT$83.6

5.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 NT$130

$3.48 NT$110

17.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NT$89.0

$2.83 NT$89.4

-0.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.1

$2.16 NT$68.3

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 NT$60.0

$2.04 NT$64.4

-6.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$41.67

$1.20 NT$37.98

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 NT$129

$4.15 NT$131

-1.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 NT$147

$14.11 NT$446

-66.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NT$58.0

$1.71 NT$54.1

7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$76.7

$2.44 NT$77.1

-0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 NT$26.14

$0.86 NT$27.34

-3.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.35 NT$1,244

$39.63 NT$1,253

-0.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NT$88.3

$2.82 NT$89.1

-1.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 NT$13.10

$0.77 NT$24.35

-46.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 NT$320

$10.20 NT$322

-0.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.65

$1.03 NT$32.51

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$36.0K NT$1.1M

7.45%

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

$27.1K NT$856.1K

$26.0K NT$820.4K

4.35%

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

$73.3 NT$2,318

$85.8 NT$2,711

-14.52%

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

$18.55 NT$586

$24.16 NT$764

-23.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.60 NT$778

$22.39 NT$708

9.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.24 NT$1,177

$36.96 NT$1,168

0.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 NT$481

$15.20 NT$481

0.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 NT$376

$10.18 NT$322

16.70%

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

$632 NT$20.0K

$424 NT$13.4K

49.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K NT$581.8K

$15.7K NT$494.8K

17.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 NT$1,859

$83.7 NT$2,644

-29.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 NT$1,047

$34.97 NT$1,105

-5.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 NT$2,921

$91.3 NT$2,887

1.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,902

$103 NT$3,271

19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 NT$13.8K

$426 NT$13.5K

2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 NT$9,252

$290 NT$9,165

0.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.4K

$1,029 NT$32.5K

2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 NT$22.8K

$718 NT$22.7K

0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,631 NT$241.2K

$8,444 NT$266.9K

-9.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,251 NT$166.0K

$4,764 NT$150.6K

10.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,156 NT$68.1K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Chiayi and $426 in Kinmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Chiayi vs $30.00 in Kinmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $368 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 $1,740 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: $438 in Chiayi versus $426 in Kinmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $632 in Chiayi versus $424 in Kinmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kinmen – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $41.00 in Chiayi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,155 in Kinmen versus $1,160 in Chiayi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kinmen but tight or insufficient in Chiayi. The gap between the two cities makes Kinmen 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 – Kinmen wins on affordability, Chiayi on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.