Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Kuwait City Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Kuwait City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,272 in Keelung versus $1,427 in Kuwait City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Keelung versus $2,375 in Kuwait City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,893 in Keelung versus $3,322 in Kuwait City.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 11% less than in Kuwait City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 5% below, Kuwait City is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 NT$156

$10.06 KWD 3.09

-50.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.19 NT$950

$83.0 KWD 25.46

-63.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.56 NT$175

$8.77 KWD 2.69

-36.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 KWD 0.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 KWD 1.15

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.3

$5.95 KWD 1.83

-49.75%

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

$1.12 NT$35.18

$0.69 KWD 0.21

62.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$26.72

$0.35 KWD 0.11

142.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$69.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 NT$89.9

Milk (1 liter)

$3.45 NT$108

$1.56 KWD 0.48

121.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 NT$46.46

$1.29 KWD 0.39

14.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 NT$37.84

$1.72 KWD 0.53

-30.23%

Eggs

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.03 KWD 0.62

19.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.12 NT$979

$5.16 KWD 1.58

503.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$6.64 KWD 2.04

-9.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 NT$504

$10.28 KWD 3.15

55.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 NT$149

$2.38 KWD 0.73

98.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NT$56.8

$1.95 KWD 0.60

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$1.75 KWD 0.54

26.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.5

$1.43 KWD 0.44

114.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 NT$42.38

$1.23 KWD 0.38

9.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 NT$60.1

$1.27 KWD 0.39

50.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NT$72.1

$1.62 KWD 0.50

41.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NT$39.47

$0.48 KWD 0.15

160.42%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 NT$126

$2.97 KWD 0.91

35.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 NT$305

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NT$38.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$80.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 NT$15.40

$0.86 KWD 0.26

-43.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NT$2,113

$38.87 KWD 11.92

72.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.5

$3.23 KWD 0.99

-9.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NT$37.13

$3.19 KWD 0.98

-63.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 NT$319

$16.27 KWD 4.99

-37.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$32.90

$0.36 KWD 0.11

191.67%

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

$33.2K NT$1.0M

$20.8K KWD 6,390

59.47%

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

$26.1K NT$820.6K

$19.6K KWD 6,013

32.97%

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

$43.91 NT$1,382

$62.4 KWD 19.14

-29.63%

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

$24.18 NT$761

$18.33 KWD 5.62

31.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.88 NT$374

$25.30 KWD 7.76

-53.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NT$1,152

$109 KWD 33.32

-66.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.23 NT$1,077

$20.90 KWD 6.41

63.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 NT$261

$11.33 KWD 3.47

-26.74%

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

$358 NT$11.3K

$402 KWD 123

-11.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K NT$653.5K

$6,711 KWD 2,058

209.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 NT$2,698

$42.86 KWD 13.14

99.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 NT$1,093

$42.89 KWD 13.15

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 NT$1,581

$86.2 KWD 26.45

-41.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.65 NT$1,059

$82.2 KWD 25.20

-59.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 NT$18.9K

$890 KWD 273

-32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 NT$16.1K

$666 KWD 204

-23.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 NT$34.6K

$1,765 KWD 541

-37.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 NT$32.5K

$1,373 KWD 421

-24.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,381 NT$106.4K

$5,320 KWD 1,632

-36.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 NT$73.5K

$2,372 KWD 727

-1.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,440 NT$76.8K

$2,052 KWD 629

18.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

7.14

-69.47%

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

Last update for Keelung: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kuwait City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Keelung and $890 in Kuwait City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 19% 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 $83.0 in Kuwait City. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $179, with Kuwait City 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 Kuwait City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Kuwait City differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,272 vs $1,427 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Keelung pays 19% 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: $602 in Keelung versus $890 in Kuwait City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kuwait City pay roughly 99% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Keelung – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $83.0 in Kuwait City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,272 in Keelung versus $1,427 in Kuwait City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Kuwait City. 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 Kuwait City 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 12% less than in Kuwait City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.