Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Kinmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Kinmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,121 in Kaohsiung versus $1,080 in Kinmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,819 in Kaohsiung versus $1,852 in Kinmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,517 in Kaohsiung versus $2,623 in Kinmen.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 4% more expensive than in Kinmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 18% lower, Kinmen 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 NT$171

$4.57 NT$145

17.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.67 NT$1,005

$30.93 NT$981

2.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$154

$4.68 NT$149

3.63%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.1

$3.01 NT$95.6

-6.64%

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

$1.08 NT$34.26

$0.95 NT$30.15

13.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.98

$0.68 NT$21.57

-2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.58

$1.68 NT$53.3

-7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$78.2

$2.57 NT$81.5

-4.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.18 NT$101

$3.07 NT$97.5

3.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 NT$68.8

$1.87 NT$59.5

16.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$97.2

$2.95 NT$93.6

3.73%

Eggs

$2.57 NT$81.6

$2.69 NT$85.5

-4.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.63 NT$496

$19.21 NT$609

-18.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 NT$252

$7.89 NT$250

0.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 NT$482

$20.71 NT$657

-26.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.56 NT$208

$4.18 NT$133

56.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 NT$87.6

$2.49 NT$79.1

10.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$3.00 NT$95.1

-14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 NT$98.0

$3.14 NT$99.6

-1.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 NT$84.7

$2.78 NT$88.2

-3.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NT$65.6

$2.13 NT$67.6

-2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 NT$75.5

$2.33 NT$74.0

2.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 NT$34.11

$1.03 NT$32.73

4.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 NT$133

$3.84 NT$122

8.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.86 NT$503

$12.49 NT$396

26.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.8

$1.53 NT$48.59

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 NT$71.1

$2.18 NT$69.1

2.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NT$23.41

$0.66 NT$20.92

12.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.69 NT$402

$36.67 NT$1,164

-65.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NT$83.4

$2.75 NT$87.1

-4.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 NT$24.00

$0.77 NT$24.52

-1.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 NT$176

$9.40 NT$298

-41.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.99

$1.00 NT$31.88

4.00%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$33.0K NT$1.0M

3.79%

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

$23.9K NT$759.4K

$24.4K NT$773.8K

-1.86%

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

$86.3 NT$2,739

$87.7 NT$2,781

-1.49%

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

$17.06 NT$541

$17.90 NT$568

-4.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 NT$831

$22.12 NT$702

18.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.20 NT$1,275

$36.75 NT$1,166

9.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.70 NT$339

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 NT$357

$10.19 NT$323

10.30%

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

$465 NT$14.7K

$517 NT$16.4K

-10.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K NT$455.2K

$16.4K NT$520.2K

-12.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.7 NT$2,941

$58.6 NT$1,860

58.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.78 NT$1,072

$33.79 NT$1,072

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 NT$2,750

$83.3 NT$2,643

4.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,203

$100 NT$3,186

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$411 NT$13.0K

$403 NT$12.8K

2.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$8,899

$253 NT$8,013

11.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$31.3K

$967 NT$30.7K

1.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NT$21.8K

$725 NT$23.0K

-5.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,665 NT$148.0K

$7,334 NT$232.7K

-36.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,188 NT$101.1K

$4,965 NT$157.5K

-35.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,434 NT$45.5K

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $411 in Kaohsiung and $403 in Kinmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $31.00 in Kinmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $362 vs $366, with Kaohsiung 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 Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Kinmen differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,121 vs $1,080 including rent). Kinmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,682 in Kaohsiung and $1,620 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: $411 in Kaohsiung versus $403 in Kinmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Kaohsiung versus $517 in Kinmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Kaohsiung pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,080 in Kinmen versus $1,121 in Kaohsiung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kinmen but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Kinmen 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 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 Kinmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.