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: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,273 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $2,040 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $2,808 in Keelung.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 7% less than in Keelung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 12% lower, Keelung 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$5.17 NT$163

-21.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$30.43 NT$962

12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$5.40 NT$171

2.04%

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$2.94 NT$92.9

5.10%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$1.10 NT$34.73

-11.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$0.81 NT$25.46

-12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

$2.10 NT$66.3

-20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$2.95 NT$93.3

-7.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$3.40 NT$108

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.49 NT$47.15

34.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$1.14 NT$35.97

128.95%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$2.48 NT$78.5

34.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$31.37 NT$992

-48.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$6.19 NT$196

52.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$15.93 NT$503

13.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$4.52 NT$143

36.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$1.76 NT$55.6

45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$2.25 NT$71.3

26.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$3.09 NT$97.7

29.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$1.35 NT$42.58

122.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$1.94 NT$61.4

9.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$2.29 NT$72.3

-19.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$1.26 NT$39.80

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$3.97 NT$126

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

$9.70 NT$307

59.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

$1.22 NT$38.72

40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

$2.65 NT$83.7

-7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$0.49 NT$15.48

67.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$68.0 NT$2,151

-60.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$2.81 NT$88.9

4.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$1.20 NT$37.89

-35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$10.10 NT$319

-37.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$1.01 NT$32.04

1.98%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$33.4K NT$1.1M

1.37%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$26.1K NT$823.7K

-1.53%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$44.01 NT$1,391

131.79%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$24.37 NT$771

3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$11.78 NT$372

117.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$37.04 NT$1,171

6.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$33.67 NT$1,064

-66.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$8.69 NT$275

16.00%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$364 NT$11.5K

17.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$20.5K NT$649.6K

-44.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$83.6 NT$2,643

13.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$34.44 NT$1,089

4.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$50.2 NT$1,586

78.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$33.81 NT$1,069

198.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$610 NT$19.3K

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$516 NT$16.3K

-45.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$1,124 NT$35.5K

-15.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$1,020 NT$32.2K

-33.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

$3,392 NT$107.2K

35.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

$2,361 NT$74.6K

35.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$2,435 NT$77.0K

-38.29%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Keelung: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $610 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 62% 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 $385 vs $357 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,188 vs $1,273 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 62% 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: $443 in Kaohsiung versus $610 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Kaohsiung versus $364 in Keelung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Keelung pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,273 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 7% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.