Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Bucharest Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Bucharest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $948 in Keelung versus $1,430 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,664 in Keelung versus $2,131 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,379 in Keelung versus $2,833 in Bucharest.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 34% less than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 31% below, Bucharest is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.84 NT$153

$15.63 RON 70.9

-69.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.01 NT$1,014

$62.3 RON 282

-48.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 NT$151

$7.85 RON 35.59

-39.36%

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$89.8

$3.63 RON 16.44

-21.76%

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

$1.00 NT$31.52

$2.48 RON 11.23

-59.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.26

$2.36 RON 10.69

-69.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 NT$48.44

$3.92 RON 17.78

-60.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.5

$4.50 RON 20.40

-38.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.17 NT$100

$1.80 RON 8.15

76.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 NT$43.33

$1.41 RON 6.39

-2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 NT$36.25

$1.78 RON 8.07

-35.96%

Eggs

$2.30 NT$72.8

$3.88 RON 17.58

-40.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.41 NT$900

$9.61 RON 43.59

195.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 NT$181

$7.16 RON 32.46

-19.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 NT$539

$12.25 RON 55.5

38.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 NT$139

$1.31 RON 5.95

234.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NT$62.6

$1.70 RON 7.69

16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NT$58.3

$1.63 RON 7.38

12.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 NT$71.3

$2.78 RON 12.59

-19.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 NT$39.55

$0.86 RON 3.91

45.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$59.9

$0.74 RON 3.37

155.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$73.8

$0.94 RON 4.27

147.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.00

$0.97 RON 4.41

-12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 NT$124

$6.87 RON 31.14

-42.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.23 NT$292

$6.66 RON 30.18

38.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NT$35.44

$1.26 RON 5.69

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$79.9

$1.73 RON 7.84

45.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 NT$19.14

$1.08 RON 4.88

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.8 NT$1,957

$21.84 RON 99.0

182.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NT$83.2

$0.64 RON 2.89

310.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 NT$29.39

$0.68 RON 3.09

36.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 NT$294

$6.46 RON 29.31

43.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$31.86

$1.98 RON 9.00

-48.99%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$29.4K RON 133.1K

13.02%

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

$23.0K NT$729.6K

$27.8K RON 126.2K

-17.25%

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

$40.55 NT$1,284

$204 RON 924

-80.10%

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

$14.70 NT$466

$8.53 RON 38.68

72.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.09 NT$351

$9.87 RON 44.74

12.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.73 NT$1,100

$54.7 RON 248

-36.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.76 NT$1,006

$25.58 RON 116

24.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 NT$245

$8.86 RON 40.17

-12.64%

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

$339 NT$10.8K

$663 RON 3,006

-48.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K NT$557.9K

$15.3K RON 69.3K

15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 NT$2,190

$95.2 RON 432

-27.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.34 NT$1,151

$40.99 RON 186

-11.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.61 NT$1,508

$82.7 RON 375

-42.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.52 NT$998

$101 RON 456

-68.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 NT$12.4K

$710 RON 3,218

-44.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,026

$490 RON 2,223

-48.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 NT$30.7K

$1,130 RON 5,122

-14.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 NT$23.4K

$759 RON 3,441

-2.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,435 NT$108.8K

$3,914 RON 17.7K

-12.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,335 NT$73.9K

$2,317 RON 10.5K

0.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,459 NT$77.9K

$1,486 RON 6,737

65.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

6.83

-66.76%

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

Last update for Keelung: August 30, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Keelung and $710 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 66% 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 Keelung vs $62.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $236, with Bucharest 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

Keelung vs Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Bucharest differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($948 vs $1,430 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Keelung, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $393 in Keelung versus $710 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $948 per month in Keelung versus $1,430 in Bucharest – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Keelung runs roughly 183% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $948 in Keelung versus $1,430 in Bucharest, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Bucharest. 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, Keelung and Bucharest 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 51% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.