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: $1,273 in Keelung versus $1,469 in Kuwait City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,039 in Keelung versus $2,440 in Kuwait City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,805 in Keelung versus $3,411 in Kuwait City.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 13% less than in Kuwait City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 5% below, Kuwait City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.99 NT$162

$9.88 KWD 3.04

-49.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.37 NT$983

$80.7 KWD 24.79

-62.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.45 NT$176

$9.26 KWD 2.85

-41.14%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 KWD 1.14

Cappuccino

$3.07 NT$99.2

$5.92 KWD 1.82

-48.14%

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

$1.16 NT$37.44

$0.68 KWD 0.21

70.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$27.59

$0.38 KWD 0.12

123.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 NT$69.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NT$92.2

Milk (1 liter)

$3.36 NT$109

$1.63 KWD 0.50

106.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 NT$47.96

$1.29 KWD 0.40

14.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.83

$1.79 KWD 0.55

-32.96%

Eggs

$2.38 NT$77.1

$2.10 KWD 0.64

13.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.59 NT$1,022

$5.28 KWD 1.62

498.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 NT$194

$6.52 KWD 2.00

-8.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 NT$508

$10.30 KWD 3.17

52.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.68 NT$152

$2.43 KWD 0.75

92.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NT$58.5

$1.89 KWD 0.58

-4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 NT$72.2

$1.78 KWD 0.55

25.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.6

$1.44 KWD 0.44

106.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 NT$43.05

$1.22 KWD 0.38

9.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.32 KWD 0.40

42.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 NT$74.6

$1.69 KWD 0.52

36.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NT$40.69

$0.45 KWD 0.14

180.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.27 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 NT$129

$2.85 KWD 0.88

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 NT$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$38.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$81.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 NT$17.01

$0.85 KWD 0.26

-37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 NT$2,236

$38.92 KWD 11.96

77.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 NT$94.7

$3.34 KWD 1.03

-12.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NT$38.43

$3.17 KWD 0.97

-62.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 NT$323

$16.40 KWD 5.04

-39.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.81

$0.36 KWD 0.11

180.56%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$21.0K KWD 6,442

61.29%

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

$26.1K NT$844.8K

$19.8K KWD 6,074

32.10%

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

$44.09 NT$1,427

$62.7 KWD 19.27

-29.67%

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

$24.40 NT$790

$18.39 KWD 5.65

32.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.04 NT$390

$25.42 KWD 7.81

-52.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.63 NT$1,218

$108 KWD 33.14

-65.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.32 NT$1,111

$21.51 KWD 6.61

59.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 NT$276

$11.53 KWD 3.55

-26.02%

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

$362 NT$11.7K

$400 KWD 123

-9.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K NT$670.8K

$6,575 KWD 2,021

215.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 NT$2,754

$42.00 KWD 12.91

102.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 NT$1,121

$41.82 KWD 12.86

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.4 NT$1,630

$88.9 KWD 27.32

-43.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.26 NT$1,076

$82.7 KWD 25.42

-59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 NT$19.8K

$868 KWD 267

-29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 NT$16.5K

$653 KWD 201

-21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 NT$36.5K

$1,757 KWD 540

-35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 NT$32.9K

$1,371 KWD 422

-25.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,386 NT$109.6K

$5,223 KWD 1,606

-35.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 NT$74.6K

$2,377 KWD 731

-3.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,392 NT$77.4K

$2,068 KWD 636

15.71%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kuwait City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $611 in Keelung and $868 in Kuwait City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 16% 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 $81.0 in Kuwait City. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $180, 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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,469 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $611 in Keelung versus $868 in Kuwait City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kuwait City pay roughly 96% 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 $81.0 in Kuwait City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Keelung versus $1,469 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 15% less than in Kuwait City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.