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: $948 in Keelung versus $1,497 in Kuwait City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,664 in Keelung versus $2,433 in Kuwait City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,379 in Keelung versus $3,369 in Kuwait City.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 37% less than in Kuwait City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 31% below, Kuwait City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.84 NT$153

$12.93 KWD 3.99

-62.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.01 NT$1,014

$63.6 KWD 19.63

-49.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 NT$151

$8.72 KWD 2.69

-45.41%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 KWD 1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 KWD 1.53

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$89.8

$5.30 KWD 1.64

-46.42%

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

$1.00 NT$31.52

$0.74 KWD 0.23

35.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.26

$0.34 KWD 0.11

114.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 NT$48.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.5

Milk (1 liter)

$3.17 NT$100

$1.57 KWD 0.49

101.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 NT$43.33

$1.54 KWD 0.47

-11.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 NT$36.25

$1.90 KWD 0.59

-40.00%

Eggs

$2.30 NT$72.8

$2.16 KWD 0.67

6.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.41 NT$900

$4.44 KWD 1.37

539.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 NT$181

$6.63 KWD 2.05

-13.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 NT$539

$10.25 KWD 3.17

66.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 NT$139

$2.46 KWD 0.76

78.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NT$62.6

$1.94 KWD 0.60

2.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NT$58.3

$1.79 KWD 0.55

2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 NT$71.3

$1.54 KWD 0.47

46.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 NT$39.55

$1.37 KWD 0.42

-8.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$59.9

$1.49 KWD 0.46

26.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 NT$73.8

$2.39 KWD 0.74

-2.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.00

$0.54 KWD 0.17

57.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.19 KWD 0.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.92 NT$124

$2.67 KWD 0.82

46.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.23 NT$292

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NT$35.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$79.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 NT$19.14

$0.80 KWD 0.25

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.8 NT$1,957

$48.22 KWD 14.90

28.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NT$83.2

$4.74 KWD 1.46

-44.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 NT$29.39

$3.26 KWD 1.01

-71.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 NT$294

$16.34 KWD 5.05

-43.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$31.86

$0.35 KWD 0.11

188.57%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$20.7K KWD 6,390

60.45%

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

$23.0K NT$729.6K

$20.2K KWD 6,239

14.05%

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

$40.55 NT$1,284

$64.9 KWD 20.06

-37.56%

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

$14.70 NT$466

$22.24 KWD 6.87

-33.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.09 NT$351

$29.52 KWD 9.12

-62.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.73 NT$1,100

$123 KWD 38.08

-71.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.76 NT$1,006

$32.45 KWD 10.02

-2.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 NT$245

$11.52 KWD 3.56

-32.81%

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

$339 NT$10.8K

$303 KWD 93.5

12.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K NT$557.9K

$9,492 KWD 2,932

85.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 NT$2,190

$38.42 KWD 11.87

79.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.34 NT$1,151

$39.37 KWD 12.16

-7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.61 NT$1,508

$98.3 KWD 30.38

-51.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.52 NT$998

$89.3 KWD 27.60

-64.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$393 NT$12.4K

$925 KWD 286

-57.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,026

$637 KWD 197

-60.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 NT$30.7K

$1,994 KWD 616

-51.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 NT$23.4K

$1,341 KWD 414

-44.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,435 NT$108.8K

$5,368 KWD 1,658

-36.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,335 NT$73.9K

$2,407 KWD 744

-3.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,459 NT$77.9K

$2,080 KWD 643

18.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

6.53

-65.24%

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

Last update for Keelung: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kuwait City: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $393 in Keelung and $925 in Kuwait City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Keelung vs $64.0 in Kuwait City. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $186, 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 58% in total monthly costs ($948 vs $1,497 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $393 in Keelung versus $925 in Kuwait City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kuwait City pay roughly 78% 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 $32.00 versus $64.0 in Kuwait City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $948 in Keelung versus $1,497 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 58% less than in Kuwait City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.