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: $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $967 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Kaohsiung versus $1,708 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,551 in Kaohsiung versus $2,450 in Keelung.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 14% more expensive than in Keelung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Keelung 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 NT$175

$4.88 NT$155

12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 NT$1,022

$31.81 NT$1,013

0.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$154

$4.79 NT$153

0.84%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.6

$2.84 NT$90.6

-1.06%

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

$1.08 NT$34.48

$1.00 NT$31.74

8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.33

$0.73 NT$23.24

-8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$47.02

$1.55 NT$49.49

-4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.2

$2.84 NT$90.5

-10.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$3.12 NT$99.3

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$72.3

$1.39 NT$44.29

63.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.5

$1.18 NT$37.68

156.78%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.7

$2.25 NT$71.6

19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 NT$489

$29.54 NT$940

-47.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NT$250

$5.64 NT$180

39.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 NT$483

$17.02 NT$542

-10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 NT$208

$4.40 NT$140

48.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NT$88.6

$1.97 NT$62.6

41.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.4

$1.77 NT$56.3

42.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.5

$2.21 NT$70.2

41.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.3

$1.20 NT$38.12

125.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$64.9

$1.90 NT$60.5

7.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.9

$2.46 NT$78.2

-4.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.19

$0.90 NT$28.71

18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$130

$3.81 NT$121

6.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 NT$507

$9.74 NT$310

63.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.8

$1.09 NT$34.57

45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$2.47 NT$78.6

-12.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.72

$0.61 NT$19.45

22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 NT$395

$63.0 NT$2,004

-80.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.9

$2.75 NT$87.4

-0.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.81

$0.99 NT$31.45

-21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NT$182

$9.35 NT$298

-38.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.66

$1.04 NT$33.12

1.92%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$34.3K NT$1.1M

-3.09%

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

$23.1K NT$735.7K

$23.4K NT$743.6K

-1.06%

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

$84.7 NT$2,695

$41.86 NT$1,332

102.22%

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

$17.10 NT$544

$15.24 NT$485

12.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$820

$11.29 NT$359

128.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 NT$1,293

$35.55 NT$1,132

14.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$329

$31.90 NT$1,015

-67.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NT$349

$7.76 NT$247

41.11%

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

$474 NT$15.1K

$348 NT$11.1K

36.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$444.4K

$16.9K NT$539.4K

-17.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 NT$3,007

$69.6 NT$2,214

35.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 NT$1,069

$36.18 NT$1,152

-7.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 NT$2,753

$48.34 NT$1,539

78.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NT$3,176

$31.31 NT$997

218.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NT$13.0K

$405 NT$12.9K

0.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$9,042

$251 NT$8,001

13.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.8K

$1,009 NT$32.1K

-1.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 NT$21.3K

$732 NT$23.3K

-8.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,684 NT$149.1K

$3,420 NT$108.9K

36.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 NT$100.9K

$2,351 NT$74.8K

34.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,439 NT$45.8K

$2,491 NT$79.3K

-42.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

2.27

12.78%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Last update for Keelung: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kaohsiung and $405 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $32.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $337, with Keelung 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

Kaohsiung vs Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Keelung differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $967 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Keelung. 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: $407 in Kaohsiung versus $405 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Kaohsiung versus $348 in Keelung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $967 in Keelung versus $1,107 in Kaohsiung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Keelung 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 Keelung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.