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: $1,269 in Keelung versus $1,159 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,047 in Keelung versus $1,912 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,824 in Keelung versus $2,666 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Keelung is roughly 10% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 5% lower, Kaohsiung 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 NT$167

$4.16 NT$134

24.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.17 NT$974

$34.09 NT$1,101

-11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 NT$172

$5.46 NT$176

-2.38%

Cappuccino

$2.97 NT$95.8

$2.99 NT$96.5

-0.67%

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

$1.11 NT$35.98

$1.03 NT$33.19

7.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$25.64

$0.72 NT$23.25

9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 NT$70.4

$1.66 NT$53.7

31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 NT$95.0

$2.77 NT$89.5

6.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.45 NT$111

$3.54 NT$114

-2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 NT$50.4

$2.07 NT$66.7

-24.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 NT$38.56

$2.60 NT$84.0

-54.23%

Eggs

$2.38 NT$77.0

$3.32 NT$107

-28.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.14 NT$1,006

$15.78 NT$510

97.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 NT$191

$9.24 NT$298

-35.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.58 NT$503

$17.93 NT$579

-13.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 NT$148

$5.99 NT$194

-23.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NT$58.4

$2.59 NT$83.5

-30.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 NT$71.6

$2.78 NT$89.9

-20.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$99.1

$4.03 NT$130

-23.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 NT$43.10

$2.98 NT$96.3

-55.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 NT$61.5

$2.24 NT$72.5

-14.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NT$73.5

$1.92 NT$61.9

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NT$41.42

$1.14 NT$36.95

12.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$128

$4.34 NT$140

-8.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 NT$292

$15.18 NT$490

-40.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NT$39.13

$1.65 NT$53.4

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$86.0

$2.45 NT$79.2

8.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 NT$17.06

$0.81 NT$26.16

-34.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 NT$2,150

$27.16 NT$877

145.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$90.9

$2.94 NT$94.8

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NT$38.39

$0.73 NT$23.55

63.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.30 NT$333

$6.03 NT$195

70.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.37

$1.07 NT$34.53

-6.54%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$34.2K NT$1.1M

-1.67%

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

$25.4K NT$820.5K

$25.7K NT$831.4K

-1.32%

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

$43.58 NT$1,407

$105 NT$3,391

-58.50%

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

$24.59 NT$794

$25.44 NT$821

-3.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.73 NT$379

$24.82 NT$802

-52.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 NT$1,222

$38.49 NT$1,243

-1.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.48 NT$1,113

$11.37 NT$367

203.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.33 NT$269

$10.36 NT$335

-19.59%

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

$354 NT$11.4K

$427 NT$13.8K

-16.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K NT$658.5K

$11.3K NT$364.0K

80.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 NT$2,770

$95.0 NT$3,067

-9.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 NT$1,130

$36.22 NT$1,170

-3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 NT$1,661

$89.4 NT$2,886

-42.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.24 NT$1,073

$103 NT$3,317

-67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 NT$19.6K

$448 NT$14.5K

35.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 NT$16.3K

$280 NT$9,030

80.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 NT$36.2K

$925 NT$29.9K

21.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 NT$33.3K

$690 NT$22.3K

49.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,290 NT$106.2K

$4,510 NT$145.6K

-27.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,312 NT$74.7K

$3,159 NT$102.0K

-26.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,450 NT$79.1K

$1,463 NT$47.2K

67.49%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Keelung and $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 67% 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 $354 vs $382 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,269 vs $1,159 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $607 in Keelung versus $448 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $354 in Keelung versus $427 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 $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,269 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 10% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.