Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Kuwait City

For one person, living is cheaper in Keelung: $978 a month against $1,460 in Kuwait City, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Keelung
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$978
/mo nomad
Kuwait City
🇰🇼 Kuwait
$1,460
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Keelung and in Kuwait City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Keelung and in Kuwait City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Keelung versus $1,460 in Kuwait City.

  • Keelung $978
  • Kuwait City $1,460

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,717 in Keelung versus $2,418 in Kuwait City.

  • Keelung $1,717
  • Kuwait City $2,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,457 in Keelung versus $3,377 in Kuwait City.

  • Keelung $2,457
  • Kuwait City $3,377

Living in Keelung costs roughly 33% less than in Kuwait City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 28% below, Kuwait City is 8% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.65 NT$151
$12.70 KWD 3.91
-63.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.92 NT$1,035
$64.0 KWD 19.72
-50.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.85 NT$157
$8.71 KWD 2.69
-44.32%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.20 KWD 0.99
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.80 KWD 1.48
-
Cappuccino
$2.85 NT$92.4
$5.05 KWD 1.56
-43.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 NT$33.31
$0.69 KWD 0.21
49.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 NT$23.60
$0.31 KWD 0.10
135.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.54 NT$50.1
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 NT$91.1
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.24 NT$105
$1.62 KWD 0.50
100.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.39 NT$45.01
$1.51 KWD 0.47
-7.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.12 NT$36.44
$1.89 KWD 0.58
-40.74%
Eggs
$2.22 NT$72.1
$2.05 KWD 0.63
8.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$29.36 NT$952
$4.37 KWD 1.35
571.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.83 NT$189
$6.81 KWD 2.10
-14.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.08 NT$554
$10.13 KWD 3.12
68.61%
Apples (1kg)
$4.35 NT$141
$2.48 KWD 0.76
75.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 NT$61.4
$1.91 KWD 0.59
-1.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.02 NT$98.0
$1.83 KWD 0.57
65.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.16 NT$70.1
$1.54 KWD 0.48
40.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.19 NT$38.69
$1.30 KWD 0.40
-8.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 NT$61.6
$1.47 KWD 0.45
29.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.42 NT$78.5
$2.35 KWD 0.72
2.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 NT$29.60
$0.58 KWD 0.18
56.90%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$3.19 KWD 0.98
-
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)
$3.76 NT$122
$2.78 KWD 0.86
35.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.24 NT$300
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 NT$35.21
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 NT$83.0
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.64 NT$20.87
$0.78 KWD 0.24
-17.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.7 NT$2,064
$49.08 KWD 15.12
29.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 NT$84.7
$4.72 KWD 1.45
-44.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.96 NT$31.16
$3.25 KWD 1.00
-70.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.61 NT$311
$16.28 KWD 5.01
-40.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 NT$33.31
$0.33 KWD 0.10
212.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K NT$1.1M
$20.6K KWD 6,339
61.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K NT$744.6K
$20.5K KWD 6,312
12.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$41.52 NT$1,346
$66.0 KWD 20.33
-37.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.14 NT$491
$22.04 KWD 6.79
-31.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.07 NT$359
$30.31 KWD 9.34
-63.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.14 NT$1,107
$122 KWD 37.70
-72.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.11 NT$1,041
$32.40 KWD 9.98
-0.90%
Cinema Ticket
$7.92 NT$257
$11.08 KWD 3.42
-28.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$336 NT$10.9K
$294 KWD 90.7
14.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K NT$546.4K
$9,475 KWD 2,919
77.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.0 NT$2,368
$37.20 KWD 11.46
96.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.15 NT$1,172
$39.25 KWD 12.09
-7.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$47.16 NT$1,529
$99.0 KWD 30.50
-52.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$31.66 NT$1,027
$88.3 KWD 27.21
-64.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$401 NT$13.0K
$934 KWD 288
-57.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$254 NT$8,247
$626 KWD 193
-59.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$978 NT$31.7K
$1,989 KWD 613
-50.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$731 NT$23.7K
$1,331 KWD 410
-45.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,385 NT$109.8K
$5,313 KWD 1,637
-36.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,352 NT$76.3K
$2,328 KWD 717
1.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Keelung
Kuwait City
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,436 NT$79.0K
$2,067 KWD 637
17.82%
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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kuwait City: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Keelung
$341
Kuwait City
$187 45.3% $155
Accommodation & Living
Keelung
$254
Kuwait City
$626 146% $372
Eating Out
Keelung
$106
Kuwait City
$192 80.9% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Keelung
$85
Kuwait City
$119 40.3% $34
Getting Around
Keelung
$74
Kuwait City
$73 0.6% $0.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Keelung
$68
Kuwait City
$118 74.7% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Keelung
$50
Kuwait City
$145 189% $95

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Keelung and $934 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 $341 vs $187, with Kuwait City cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇼 Keelung
🇰🇼 Kuwait City
🕒 Local time
21:57 9:57 PM
16:57 4:57 PM
5 h behind Keelung
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
372,100
637,411 Capital
💱 Currency
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك
Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Keelung Kuwait City 7,180 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Keelung
  • Kuwait City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Keelung and in Kuwait City?
Keelung and Kuwait City differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($978 vs $1,460 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Keelung or Kuwait City?
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.
How do apartment prices compare in Keelung and in Kuwait City?
Rent for a central apartment: $401 in Keelung versus $934 in Kuwait City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Kuwait City pay roughly 83% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
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.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $978 in Keelung versus $1,460 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.
How does quality of life compare between Keelung and Kuwait City?
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.
Is Keelung or Kuwait City safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Keelung or Kuwait City?
Expats usually find Keelung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Kuwait City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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