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: $1,149 in Kaohsiung versus $1,124 in Kinmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,925 in Kaohsiung versus $1,864 in Kinmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Kaohsiung versus $2,603 in Kinmen.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 2% more expensive than Kinmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Kinmen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$5.23 NT$165

-22.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 NT$1,065

$30.74 NT$967

10.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$174

$5.46 NT$172

1.47%

Cappuccino

$3.08 NT$96.8

$2.91 NT$91.5

5.84%

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

$1.02 NT$32.01

$1.09 NT$34.45

-6.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.41

$0.77 NT$24.33

1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 NT$54.1

$1.89 NT$59.4

-8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$87.2

$2.64 NT$83.2

4.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.62 NT$114

$3.26 NT$103

11.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 NT$64.5

$1.90 NT$59.9

7.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 NT$86.8

$2.79 NT$87.9

-1.08%

Eggs

$3.21 NT$101

$2.84 NT$89.3

13.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 NT$499

$18.85 NT$593

-15.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 NT$285

$8.00 NT$252

13.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 NT$564

$17.25 NT$543

3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$4.58 NT$144

31.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 NT$81.2

$2.56 NT$80.7

0.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 NT$87.1

$2.67 NT$84.2

3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 NT$131

$3.49 NT$110

18.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.0

$2.87 NT$90.3

4.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.7

$2.24 NT$70.4

-1.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 NT$61.2

$1.96 NT$61.7

-1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 NT$36.44

$1.25 NT$39.49

-7.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$137

$4.19 NT$132

3.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 NT$499

$14.40 NT$453

10.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.5

$1.66 NT$52.1

4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 NT$80.0

$2.47 NT$77.8

2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.70

$0.89 NT$27.89

-7.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.88 NT$846

$39.20 NT$1,234

-31.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.0

$2.94 NT$92.5

0.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$22.97

$0.77 NT$24.35

-5.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 NT$188

$10.28 NT$324

-41.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$32.73

$1.06 NT$33.49

-1.89%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$35.9K NT$1.1M

-5.52%

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

$25.1K NT$790.9K

$25.7K NT$808.1K

-2.12%

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

$104 NT$3,265

$86.4 NT$2,719

20.09%

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

$25.58 NT$805

$24.55 NT$773

4.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.14 NT$791

$22.48 NT$708

11.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 NT$1,201

$36.74 NT$1,156

3.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.48 NT$361

$15.18 NT$478

-24.37%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 NT$317

$10.06 NT$317

0.10%

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

$431 NT$13.6K

$419 NT$13.2K

2.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K NT$358.3K

$15.3K NT$482.6K

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 NT$2,987

$84.1 NT$2,647

12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 NT$1,112

$34.75 NT$1,094

1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 NT$2,878

$91.0 NT$2,864

0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,170

$103 NT$3,244

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NT$13.6K

$440 NT$13.8K

-1.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 NT$8,866

$286 NT$8,994

-1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 NT$29.6K

$1,034 NT$32.6K

-9.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 NT$21.4K

$740 NT$23.3K

-8.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,727 NT$148.8K

$7,661 NT$241.2K

-38.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,275 NT$103.1K

$5,295 NT$166.7K

-38.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.5K

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 1, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $432 in Kaohsiung and $440 in Kinmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Kaohsiung vs $31.00 in Kinmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $367 per month, with Kinmen 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 Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Kinmen differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,149 vs $1,124 including rent). Kinmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,724 in Kaohsiung and $1,686 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: $432 in Kaohsiung versus $440 in Kinmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $419 in Kinmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,124 in Kinmen versus $1,149 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 2% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.