Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Keelung

For one person, living is cheaper in Keelung: $932 a month against $1,105 in Kaohsiung, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kaohsiung
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Kaohsiung Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Keelung
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Keelung Living Index

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Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,105

/mo nomad

Keelung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaohsiung and in Keelung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,105 in Kaohsiung versus $932 in Keelung.

Kaohsiung $1,105
Keelung $932

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,796 in Kaohsiung versus $1,652 in Keelung.

Kaohsiung $1,796
Keelung $1,652

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,487 in Kaohsiung versus $2,372 in Keelung.

Kaohsiung $2,487
Keelung $2,372

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 19% more expensive than in Keelung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 19% lower, Keelung 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.74 NT$155

$4.54 NT$148

4.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.77 NT$1,003

$31.22 NT$1,018

-1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$150

$4.90 NT$160

-6.12%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$95.4

$2.81 NT$91.5

4.27%

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

$1.05 NT$34.21

$0.99 NT$32.15

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NT$22.61

$0.70 NT$22.95

-1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 NT$49.24

$1.52 NT$49.44

-0.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$78.1

$2.66 NT$86.6

-10.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$103

$3.05 NT$99.4

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 NT$71.1

$1.42 NT$46.36

53.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$93.5

$1.17 NT$38.08

145.30%

Eggs

$2.54 NT$82.9

$2.26 NT$73.7

12.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 NT$496

$28.14 NT$918

-45.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.03 NT$262

$5.52 NT$180

45.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 NT$481

$16.09 NT$525

-8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.40 NT$209

$4.29 NT$140

49.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.9

$1.87 NT$61.1

49.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.42 NT$78.8

$3.06 NT$99.7

-20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.6

$2.10 NT$68.3

43.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 NT$87.4

$1.21 NT$39.50

121.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$64.4

$1.93 NT$63.1

2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$74.9

$2.35 NT$76.6

-2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 NT$33.12

$0.84 NT$27.50

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 NT$138

$3.70 NT$121

14.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 NT$503

$9.37 NT$305

64.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 NT$52.5

$1.07 NT$34.78

50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$68.0

$2.44 NT$79.4

-14.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$20.35

$0.60 NT$19.44

3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.04 NT$393

$34.32 NT$1,119

-64.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 NT$86.0

$2.55 NT$83.2

3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$25.48

$0.90 NT$29.44

-13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.68 NT$185

$9.37 NT$305

-39.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 NT$31.78

$1.03 NT$33.67

-5.83%

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

$37.1K NT$1.2M

$35.3K NT$1.1M

5.36%

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

$22.7K NT$739.4K

$23.1K NT$752.3K

-1.72%

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

$82.1 NT$2,676

$40.48 NT$1,320

102.74%

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

$16.89 NT$551

$14.89 NT$485

13.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 NT$824

$10.96 NT$358

130.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.20 NT$1,278

$34.53 NT$1,126

13.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 NT$330

$30.95 NT$1,009

-67.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 NT$330

$7.84 NT$256

28.95%

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

$448 NT$14.6K

$339 NT$11.0K

32.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K NT$445.8K

$16.6K NT$542.2K

-17.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.0 NT$2,935

$71.5 NT$2,331

25.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.24 NT$1,019

$34.89 NT$1,137

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 NT$2,805

$45.95 NT$1,498

87.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 NT$3,239

$31.00 NT$1,011

220.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 NT$14.0K

$403 NT$13.2K

6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 NT$9,806

$254 NT$8,292

18.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$32.1K

$1,022 NT$33.3K

-3.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$22.2K

$747 NT$24.3K

-8.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,146 NT$135.2K

$3,319 NT$108.2K

24.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,875 NT$93.7K

$2,300 NT$75.0K

24.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,401 NT$45.7K

$2,427 NT$79.1K

-42.28%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Keelung: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kaohsiung

$355 32.1%

Keelung

$330 35.4% 7.1% $25

Accommodation & Living

Kaohsiung

$301 27.2%

Keelung

$254 27.3% 15.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Kaohsiung

$138 12.5%

Keelung

$82 8.9% 40.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaohsiung

$124 11.3%

Keelung

$66 7.1% 46.6% $58

Eating Out

Kaohsiung

$106 9.6%

Keelung

$104 11.2% 1.7% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kaohsiung

$59 5.4%

Keelung

$50 5.4% 15.5% $9.2

Getting Around

Kaohsiung

$21 1.9%

Keelung

$44 4.7% 108% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Kaohsiung and $403 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: $31 in Kaohsiung vs $31 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $330, with Keelung cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kaohsiung

🇹🇼 Keelung

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

Same time as Kaohsiung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,777,873

372,100

💱 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

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Kaohsiung Keelung 310 km

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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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,105 in Kaohsiung and $932 in Keelung, so Keelung is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Kaohsiung. 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: $430 in Kaohsiung versus $403 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $448 in Kaohsiung versus $339 in Keelung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Kaohsiung runs roughly 65% less than in Keelung. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Keelung is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kaohsiung, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung and Keelung are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.