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: $1,273 in Keelung versus $1,362 in Bucharest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,039 in Keelung versus $2,133 in Bucharest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,805 in Keelung versus $2,903 in Bucharest.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 7% less than in Bucharest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 5% below, Bucharest is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.99 NT$162

$14.09 RON 64.3

-64.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.37 NT$983

$68.8 RON 314

-55.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 NT$176

$8.08 RON 36.87

-32.55%

Cappuccino

$3.07 NT$99.2

$3.39 RON 15.48

-9.44%

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

$1.16 NT$37.44

$2.24 RON 10.24

-48.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.59

$2.42 RON 11.04

-64.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 NT$69.6

$3.38 RON 15.44

-36.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NT$92.2

$3.83 RON 17.49

-25.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.36 NT$109

$1.72 RON 7.84

95.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 NT$47.96

$1.35 RON 6.16

9.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.83

$1.83 RON 8.37

-34.43%

Eggs

$2.38 NT$77.1

$3.65 RON 16.65

-34.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.59 NT$1,022

$9.23 RON 42.12

242.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 NT$194

$6.85 RON 31.29

-12.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 NT$508

$12.03 RON 54.9

30.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 NT$152

$1.34 RON 6.12

249.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NT$58.5

$1.72 RON 7.86

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 NT$72.2

$1.82 RON 8.30

22.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.6

$2.39 RON 10.92

24.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 NT$43.05

$1.04 RON 4.76

27.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.02 RON 4.65

84.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$74.6

$0.98 RON 4.47

134.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NT$40.69

$0.95 RON 4.32

32.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 NT$129

$6.40 RON 29.19

-37.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 NT$300

$6.50 RON 29.67

42.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$38.18

$1.24 RON 5.66

-4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$81.6

$1.93 RON 8.82

30.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 NT$17.01

$1.14 RON 5.19

-53.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NT$2,236

$19.82 RON 90.5

248.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 NT$94.7

$0.71 RON 3.26

312.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NT$38.43

$0.65 RON 2.98

83.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 NT$323

$6.93 RON 31.64

44.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.81

$1.66 RON 7.56

-39.16%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$29.0K RON 132.2K

16.74%

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

$26.1K NT$844.8K

$30.1K RON 137.3K

-13.20%

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

$44.09 NT$1,427

$183 RON 837

-75.96%

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

$24.40 NT$790

$8.95 RON 40.86

172.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.04 NT$390

$11.12 RON 50.8

8.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.63 NT$1,218

$54.4 RON 248

-30.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.32 NT$1,111

$29.49 RON 135

16.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 NT$276

$9.13 RON 41.68

-6.57%

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

$362 NT$11.7K

$676 RON 3,088

-46.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K NT$670.8K

$14.3K RON 65.4K

44.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 NT$2,754

$81.1 RON 370

4.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 NT$1,121

$44.42 RON 203

-22.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.4 NT$1,630

$89.8 RON 410

-43.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.26 NT$1,076

$108 RON 494

-69.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 NT$19.8K

$662 RON 3,022

-7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 NT$16.5K

$441 RON 2,011

15.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 NT$36.5K

$1,352 RON 6,173

-16.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 NT$32.9K

$849 RON 3,874

19.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,386 NT$109.6K

$3,777 RON 17.2K

-10.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 NT$74.6K

$2,231 RON 10.2K

3.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,392 NT$77.4K

$1,408 RON 6,427

69.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

7.1

-69.30%

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

Last update for Keelung: July 12, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $611 in Keelung and $662 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Keelung vs $69.0 in Bucharest. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $230, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,362 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $611 in Keelung versus $662 in Bucharest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Keelung versus $1,362 in Bucharest – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Keelung runs roughly 249% less than in Bucharest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,273 in Keelung versus $1,362 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 7% less than in Bucharest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.