Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Keelung Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Keelung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,294 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,899 in Kaohsiung versus $2,068 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Kaohsiung versus $2,843 in Keelung.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 11% less than in Keelung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Keelung 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 NT$130

$5.01 NT$159

-17.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.83 NT$1,071

$29.90 NT$946

13.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 NT$172

$5.54 NT$175

-1.99%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.8

$2.93 NT$92.8

2.05%

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

$0.97 NT$30.80

$1.15 NT$36.25

-15.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.94

$0.78 NT$24.80

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.1

$2.16 NT$68.5

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.2

$2.84 NT$90.0

-1.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.43 NT$109

$3.34 NT$106

2.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.51 NT$47.67

32.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.6

$1.18 NT$37.40

121.19%

Eggs

$3.30 NT$105

$2.42 NT$76.6

36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$511

$31.90 NT$1,010

-49.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NT$299

$6.04 NT$191

56.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 NT$556

$16.02 NT$507

9.61%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 NT$196

$4.58 NT$145

35.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$81.9

$1.81 NT$57.3

43.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.4

$2.29 NT$72.4

24.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 NT$127

$3.07 NT$97.0

30.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$1.34 NT$42.32

117.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NT$70.5

$1.86 NT$59.0

19.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.6

$2.32 NT$73.4

-15.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.74

$1.25 NT$39.54

-4.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 NT$143

$3.96 NT$125

14.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 NT$494

$9.74 NT$308

60.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$1.18 NT$37.23

41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$81.0

$2.63 NT$83.1

-2.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.01

$0.52 NT$16.55

57.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.95 NT$853

$66.7 NT$2,110

-59.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$2.80 NT$88.7

3.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.16

$1.18 NT$37.29

-33.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 NT$194

$10.33 NT$327

-40.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.54

$1.01 NT$31.98

1.98%

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

$34.9K NT$1.1M

$33.8K NT$1.1M

3.10%

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

$25.6K NT$811.5K

$26.3K NT$831.5K

-2.40%

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

$102 NT$3,239

$43.89 NT$1,389

133.15%

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

$25.62 NT$811

$24.95 NT$790

2.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 NT$794

$12.06 NT$382

108.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 NT$1,255

$37.38 NT$1,183

6.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 NT$352

$33.82 NT$1,071

-67.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NT$316

$8.45 NT$268

18.11%

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

$431 NT$13.7K

$357 NT$11.3K

20.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.6K

$21.1K NT$667.9K

-45.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NT$3,083

$84.0 NT$2,659

15.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 NT$1,134

$34.88 NT$1,104

2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 NT$2,788

$51.5 NT$1,629

71.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,276

$33.41 NT$1,058

209.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 NT$14.0K

$617 NT$19.5K

-28.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 NT$8,843

$506 NT$16.0K

-44.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.4K

$1,138 NT$36.0K

-15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 NT$21.7K

$998 NT$31.6K

-31.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 NT$146.5K

$3,451 NT$109.2K

34.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 NT$102.8K

$2,362 NT$74.8K

37.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 NT$48.5K

$2,442 NT$77.3K

-37.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

2.18

5.50%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kaohsiung and $617 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $30.00 in Keelung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $358 per month, with Keelung 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

Kaohsiung vs Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Keelung differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,294 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 59% 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: $442 in Kaohsiung versus $617 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $357 in Keelung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Keelung pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,294 in Keelung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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, Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.