Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Keelung versus $1,148 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,068 in Keelung versus $1,899 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,843 in Keelung versus $2,650 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Keelung is roughly 13% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 3% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 NT$159

$4.11 NT$130

21.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 NT$946

$33.83 NT$1,071

-11.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$175

$5.43 NT$172

2.03%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$92.8

$2.99 NT$94.8

-2.01%

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

$1.15 NT$36.25

$0.97 NT$30.80

18.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.80

$0.72 NT$22.94

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 NT$68.5

$1.68 NT$53.1

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 NT$90.0

$2.79 NT$88.2

1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.34 NT$106

$3.43 NT$109

-2.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 NT$47.67

$2.00 NT$63.3

-24.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 NT$37.40

$2.61 NT$82.6

-54.79%

Eggs

$2.42 NT$76.6

$3.30 NT$105

-26.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.90 NT$1,010

$16.13 NT$511

97.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 NT$191

$9.45 NT$299

-36.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 NT$507

$17.56 NT$556

-8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 NT$145

$6.20 NT$196

-26.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NT$57.3

$2.59 NT$81.9

-30.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 NT$72.4

$2.86 NT$90.4

-19.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$97.0

$4.00 NT$127

-23.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 NT$42.32

$2.91 NT$92.1

-53.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 NT$59.0

$2.23 NT$70.5

-16.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NT$73.4

$1.95 NT$61.6

18.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NT$39.54

$1.19 NT$37.74

5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$4.53 NT$143

-12.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 NT$308

$15.61 NT$494

-37.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.23

$1.67 NT$52.8

-29.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 NT$83.1

$2.56 NT$81.0

2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 NT$16.55

$0.82 NT$26.01

-36.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 NT$2,110

$26.95 NT$853

147.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 NT$88.7

$2.91 NT$92.1

-3.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NT$37.29

$0.79 NT$25.16

49.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 NT$327

$6.12 NT$194

68.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$31.98

$1.03 NT$32.54

-1.94%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$34.9K NT$1.1M

-3.01%

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

$26.3K NT$831.5K

$25.6K NT$811.5K

2.46%

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

$43.89 NT$1,389

$102 NT$3,239

-57.11%

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

$24.95 NT$790

$25.62 NT$811

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.06 NT$382

$25.09 NT$794

-51.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.38 NT$1,183

$39.67 NT$1,255

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.82 NT$1,071

$11.12 NT$352

204.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 NT$268

$9.98 NT$316

-15.33%

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

$357 NT$11.3K

$431 NT$13.7K

-17.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K NT$667.9K

$11.5K NT$362.6K

84.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 NT$2,659

$97.4 NT$3,083

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 NT$1,104

$35.83 NT$1,134

-2.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 NT$1,629

$88.1 NT$2,788

-41.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.41 NT$1,058

$104 NT$3,276

-67.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 NT$19.5K

$442 NT$14.0K

39.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 NT$16.0K

$279 NT$8,843

81.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NT$36.0K

$960 NT$30.4K

18.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.6K

$686 NT$21.7K

45.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,451 NT$109.2K

$4,630 NT$146.5K

-25.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,362 NT$74.8K

$3,248 NT$102.8K

-27.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,442 NT$77.3K

$1,533 NT$48.5K

59.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.3

-5.22%

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

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Keelung and $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Keelung vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $384 per month, with Keelung 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

Keelung vs Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Kaohsiung differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,148 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Keelung pays 59% more on average, 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: $617 in Keelung versus $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $357 in Keelung versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Keelung pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,294 in Keelung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.