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: $1,273 in Keelung versus $1,188 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,040 in Keelung versus $1,951 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Keelung versus $2,714 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Keelung is roughly 7% more expensive than Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 5% lower, Kaohsiung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$4.05 NT$128

27.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.43 NT$962

$34.24 NT$1,082

-11.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 NT$171

$5.51 NT$174

-2.00%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.9

$3.09 NT$97.8

-4.85%

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

$1.10 NT$34.73

$0.97 NT$30.78

13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 NT$25.46

$0.71 NT$22.50

14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 NT$66.3

$1.66 NT$52.4

26.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 NT$93.3

$2.73 NT$86.2

8.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.40 NT$108

$3.50 NT$110

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 NT$47.15

$2.00 NT$63.3

-25.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 NT$35.97

$2.61 NT$82.4

-56.32%

Eggs

$2.48 NT$78.5

$3.33 NT$105

-25.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.37 NT$992

$16.02 NT$506

95.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 NT$196

$9.41 NT$297

-34.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 NT$503

$18.01 NT$569

-11.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 NT$143

$6.17 NT$195

-26.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.6

$2.56 NT$81.1

-31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 NT$71.3

$2.84 NT$89.9

-20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 NT$97.7

$3.99 NT$126

-22.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 NT$42.58

$3.01 NT$95.1

-55.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NT$61.4

$2.13 NT$67.2

-8.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NT$72.3

$1.85 NT$58.6

23.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NT$39.80

$1.19 NT$37.52

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$126

$4.38 NT$139

-9.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 NT$307

$15.51 NT$490

-37.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NT$38.72

$1.72 NT$54.3

-29.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NT$83.7

$2.46 NT$77.7

7.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 NT$15.48

$0.82 NT$25.79

-40.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 NT$2,151

$26.56 NT$840

156.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$88.9

$2.94 NT$92.9

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 NT$37.89

$0.78 NT$24.73

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 NT$319

$6.28 NT$198

60.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.04

$1.03 NT$32.71

-1.94%

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

$33.4K NT$1.1M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

-1.35%

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

$26.1K NT$823.7K

$25.7K NT$811.1K

1.55%

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

$44.01 NT$1,391

$102 NT$3,225

-56.86%

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

$24.37 NT$771

$25.18 NT$796

-3.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.78 NT$372

$25.61 NT$810

-54.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,171

$39.43 NT$1,246

-6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.67 NT$1,064

$11.15 NT$352

201.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 NT$275

$10.08 NT$319

-13.79%

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

$364 NT$11.5K

$428 NT$13.5K

-15.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K NT$649.6K

$11.5K NT$362.7K

79.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 NT$2,643

$95.0 NT$3,004

-12.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 NT$1,089

$36.01 NT$1,138

-4.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 NT$1,586

$89.3 NT$2,824

-43.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.81 NT$1,069

$101 NT$3,191

-66.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 NT$19.3K

$443 NT$14.0K

37.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 NT$16.3K

$281 NT$8,897

83.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 NT$35.5K

$950 NT$30.0K

18.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NT$32.2K

$682 NT$21.6K

49.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 NT$107.2K

$4,584 NT$144.9K

-25.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,361 NT$74.6K

$3,194 NT$101.0K

-26.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,435 NT$77.0K

$1,503 NT$47.5K

62.06%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $610 in Keelung and $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 62% 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 $357 vs $385 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,188 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Keelung pays 62% 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: $610 in Keelung versus $443 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $364 in Keelung versus $428 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Keelung pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,273 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 7% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.