Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hsinchu and Kinmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kinmen: $1,069 a month against $1,140 in Hsinchu, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
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Hsinchu Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Kinmen
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Kinmen Living Index

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Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,140

/mo nomad

Kinmen

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,069

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hsinchu and in Kinmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hsinchu and in Kinmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,140 per month in Hsinchu vs $1,069 in Kinmen, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,140
Kinmen $1,069

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Hsinchu vs $1,808 in Kinmen, rent included.

Hsinchu $1,917
Kinmen $1,808

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Hsinchu vs $2,548 in Kinmen, rent included.

Hsinchu $2,693
Kinmen $2,548

Hsinchu costs about 7% more than Kinmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Hsinchu and Kinmen are more affordable than the global median – Hsinchu 16% lower, Kinmen 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 NT$120

$4.72 NT$154

-22.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.83 NT$907

$30.66 NT$1,000

-9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 NT$155

$4.97 NT$162

-4.43%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$97.3

$2.94 NT$96.0

1.70%

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

$0.90 NT$29.37

$0.89 NT$29.15

1.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$21.37

$0.70 NT$22.87

-5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 NT$61.7

$1.73 NT$56.4

9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$73.1

$2.40 NT$78.3

-6.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 NT$89.7

$2.94 NT$95.9

-6.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 NT$52.9

$1.78 NT$58.0

-8.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 NT$142

$2.83 NT$92.1

53.71%

Eggs

$2.76 NT$90.1

$2.68 NT$87.5

2.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$35.37 NT$1,153

$19.11 NT$623

85.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 NT$226

$7.93 NT$259

-12.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.54 NT$670

$20.63 NT$673

-0.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.7

$4.11 NT$134

-36.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NT$79.2

$2.40 NT$78.2

1.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NT$106

$2.89 NT$94.3

12.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 NT$101

$3.17 NT$103

-2.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 NT$76.9

$2.65 NT$86.4

-10.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 NT$75.4

$2.03 NT$66.1

13.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NT$63.9

$2.16 NT$70.3

-9.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 NT$44.32

$1.03 NT$33.58

32.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 NT$127

$3.79 NT$124

2.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 NT$394

$11.63 NT$379

3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 NT$61.4

$1.59 NT$51.9

18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.6

$2.21 NT$72.0

3.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 NT$16.76

$0.59 NT$19.21

-13.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.54 NT$1,257

$33.25 NT$1,084

15.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 NT$97.6

$2.66 NT$86.7

12.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 NT$9.64

$0.74 NT$24.08

-59.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.82 NT$320

$9.47 NT$309

3.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.98

$1.03 NT$33.54

-1.94%

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

$34.7K NT$1.1M

$35.4K NT$1.2M

-1.84%

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

$23.6K NT$769.1K

$23.1K NT$752.0K

2.27%

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

$102 NT$3,315

$87.0 NT$2,836

16.90%

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

$19.11 NT$623

$17.11 NT$558

11.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.66 NT$674

$22.39 NT$730

-7.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 NT$1,664

$35.98 NT$1,173

41.80%

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 NT$335

$10.13 NT$330

1.48%

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

$735 NT$24.0K

$565 NT$18.4K

29.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K NT$531.6K

$16.5K NT$538.6K

-1.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 NT$1,829

$61.8 NT$2,016

-9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 NT$1,140

$31.20 NT$1,017

12.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 NT$2,467

$81.6 NT$2,660

-7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,352

$102 NT$3,314

1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 NT$13.6K

$414 NT$13.5K

1.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,377

$253 NT$8,245

1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NT$35.9K

$1,053 NT$34.3K

4.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 NT$24.7K

$722 NT$23.6K

4.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,930 NT$226.0K

$7,706 NT$251.3K

-10.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,621 NT$150.7K

$4,832 NT$157.6K

-4.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,398 NT$78.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

2.39

-10.88%

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

Last update for Hsinchu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Hsinchu

$405 35.5%

Kinmen

$359 33.6% 11.2% $45

Accommodation & Living

Hsinchu

$257 22.5%

Kinmen

$253 23.7% 1.6% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hsinchu

$141 12.4%

Kinmen

$126 11.8% 10.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Hsinchu

$121 10.6%

Kinmen

$124 11.6% 2.5% $3

Eating Out

Hsinchu

$100 8.7%

Kinmen

$108 10.1% 8.3% $8.2

Sport & Entertainment

Hsinchu

$72 6.3%

Kinmen

$56 5.3% 21.5% $15

Getting Around

Hsinchu

$45 4%

Kinmen

$42 3.9% 6.9% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Hsinchu versus $414 in Kinmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Hsinchu versus $31 in Kinmen. Groceries tell a different story – $405 in Hsinchu vs $359 in Kinmen – so Kinmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Kinmen

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

Same time as Hsinchu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

453,120

12,568

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

100 TWD = 3.07 USD

100 TWD = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Hsinchu Kinmen 280 km

From you

Hsinchu
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Hsinchu vs Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hsinchu costs about 7% more than Kinmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,711 per month in Hsinchu and $1,603 in Kinmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $418 in Hsinchu and $414 in Kinmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Kinmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $735 per month in Hsinchu and $565 in Kinmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,140 in Hsinchu and $1,069 in Kinmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.