Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Kinmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Kinmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $1,124 in Kinmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,874 in Hua-lien versus $1,864 in Kinmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,641 in Hua-lien versus $2,603 in Kinmen.

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 1% less than in Kinmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hua-lien 17% lower, Kinmen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$127

$5.23 NT$165

-22.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.61 NT$1,058

$30.74 NT$967

9.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 NT$142

$5.46 NT$172

-17.40%

Cappuccino

$3.40 NT$107

$2.91 NT$91.5

16.84%

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

$0.97 NT$30.47

$1.09 NT$34.45

-11.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 NT$20.19

$0.77 NT$24.33

-16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 NT$41.28

$1.89 NT$59.4

-30.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 NT$63.5

$2.64 NT$83.2

-23.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$102

$3.26 NT$103

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 NT$56.2

$1.90 NT$59.9

-5.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 NT$137

$2.79 NT$87.9

56.27%

Eggs

$2.53 NT$79.5

$2.84 NT$89.3

-10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.93 NT$439

$18.85 NT$593

-26.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.77 NT$150

$8.00 NT$252

-40.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 NT$508

$17.25 NT$543

-6.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 NT$138

$4.58 NT$144

-4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 NT$78.5

$2.56 NT$80.7

-2.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 NT$131

$2.67 NT$84.2

55.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 NT$122

$3.49 NT$110

10.89%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 NT$145

$2.87 NT$90.3

59.93%

Onion (1kg)

$4.03 NT$127

$2.24 NT$70.4

79.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NT$80.6

$1.96 NT$61.7

30.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 NT$42.43

$1.25 NT$39.49

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 NT$160

$4.19 NT$132

21.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 NT$443

$14.40 NT$453

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 NT$67.1

$1.66 NT$52.1

28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$87.4

$2.47 NT$77.8

12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 NT$26.25

$0.89 NT$27.89

-6.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.74 NT$1,220

$39.20 NT$1,234

-1.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 NT$106

$2.94 NT$92.5

13.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 NT$22.75

$0.77 NT$24.35

-6.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.74 NT$401

$10.28 NT$324

23.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.11

$1.06 NT$33.49

-3.77%

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

$41.5K NT$1.3M

$35.9K NT$1.1M

15.71%

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

$29.6K NT$931.0K

$25.7K NT$808.1K

15.21%

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

$74.7 NT$2,352

$86.4 NT$2,719

-13.48%

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

$33.24 NT$1,046

$24.55 NT$773

35.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.19 NT$793

$22.48 NT$708

12.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,166

$36.74 NT$1,156

0.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 NT$486

$15.18 NT$478

1.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 NT$284

$10.06 NT$317

-10.34%

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

$779 NT$24.5K

$419 NT$13.2K

86.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K NT$489.3K

$15.3K NT$482.6K

1.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.58 NT$868

$84.1 NT$2,647

-67.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.63 NT$1,468

$34.75 NT$1,094

34.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 NT$2,214

$91.0 NT$2,864

-22.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,908

$103 NT$3,244

20.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 NT$13.8K

$440 NT$13.8K

-0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 NT$8,904

$286 NT$8,994

-1.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 NT$32.1K

$1,034 NT$32.6K

-1.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 NT$23.3K

$740 NT$23.3K

0.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,661 NT$241.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,295 NT$166.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,890 NT$91.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

2.18

-27.98%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Hua-lien and $440 in Kinmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Hua-lien vs $31.00 in Kinmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $367, with Hua-lien 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

Hua-lien vs Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Kinmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,661 in Hua-lien and $1,686 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: $439 in Hua-lien versus $440 in Kinmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Kinmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $31.00 in Kinmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $1,124 in Kinmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Kinmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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, Hua-lien 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.

Expats usually find Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Kinmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.