Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Seoul

For one person, living is cheaper in Keelung: $978 a month against $1,794 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Keelung
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Keelung Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index

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Keelung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$978

/mo nomad

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,794

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Keelung and in Seoul

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 Seoul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Keelung versus $1,794 in Seoul.

Keelung $978
Seoul $1,794

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,717 in Keelung versus $2,863 in Seoul.

Keelung $1,717
Seoul $2,863

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,457 in Keelung versus $3,931 in Seoul.

Keelung $2,457
Seoul $3,931

Living in Keelung costs roughly 46% less than in Seoul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 28% below, Seoul is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.65 NT$151

$8.80 ₩11.7K

-47.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.92 NT$1,035

$68.4 ₩90.9K

-53.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$157

$7.54 ₩10.0K

-35.68%

Cappuccino

$2.85 NT$92.4

$4.23 ₩5,624

-32.62%

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

$1.03 NT$33.31

$1.63 ₩2,167

-36.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.60

$0.74 ₩985

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 NT$50.1

$3.64 ₩4,843

-57.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 NT$91.1

$6.15 ₩8,175

-54.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.24 NT$105

$2.01 ₩2,679

61.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 NT$45.01

$3.13 ₩4,164

-55.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 NT$36.44

$4.32 ₩5,744

-74.07%

Eggs

$2.22 NT$72.1

$3.61 ₩4,794

-38.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.36 NT$952

$17.83 ₩23.7K

64.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 NT$189

$10.45 ₩13.9K

-44.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.08 NT$554

$25.80 ₩34.3K

-33.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.35 NT$141

$7.66 ₩10.2K

-43.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 NT$61.4

$3.38 ₩4,499

-44.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 NT$98.0

$5.81 ₩7,723

-48.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 NT$70.1

$6.41 ₩8,520

-66.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 NT$38.69

$3.75 ₩4,983

-68.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$61.6

$2.54 ₩3,375

-25.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 NT$78.5

$2.84 ₩3,782

-14.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.60

$1.11 ₩1,472

-18.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 NT$122

$3.35 ₩4,455

12.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 NT$300

$18.49 ₩24.6K

-50.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NT$35.21

$2.40 ₩3,185

-54.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$83.0

$3.37 ₩4,480

-24.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 NT$20.87

$1.14 ₩1,521

-43.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 NT$2,064

$46.11 ₩61.3K

38.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 NT$84.7

$3.49 ₩4,643

-25.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 NT$31.16

$0.63 ₩840

52.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$311

$8.86 ₩11.8K

8.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$33.31

$1.51 ₩2,005

-31.79%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$29.3K ₩38.9M

13.79%

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

$23.0K NT$744.6K

$28.2K ₩37.5M

-18.61%

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

$41.52 NT$1,346

$218 ₩289.2K

-80.91%

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

$15.14 NT$491

$35.15 ₩46.7K

-56.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.07 NT$359

$21.29 ₩28.3K

-48.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 NT$1,107

$58.1 ₩77.2K

-41.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.11 NT$1,041

$16.10 ₩21.4K

99.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.92 NT$257

$11.31 ₩15.0K

-29.97%

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

$336 NT$10.9K

$1,948 ₩2.6M

-82.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$546.4K

$22.9K ₩30.4M

-26.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 NT$2,368

$57.0 ₩75.8K

28.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.15 NT$1,172

$33.39 ₩44.4K

8.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.16 NT$1,529

$71.5 ₩95.0K

-34.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.66 NT$1,027

$82.5 ₩109.7K

-61.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 NT$13.0K

$901 ₩1.2M

-55.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 NT$8,247

$612 ₩813.5K

-58.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 NT$31.7K

$2,526 ₩3.4M

-61.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.7K

$1,266 ₩1.7M

-42.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,385 NT$109.8K

$29.4K ₩39.1M

-88.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,352 NT$76.3K

$11.9K ₩15.8M

-80.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,436 NT$79.0K

$3,650 ₩4.9M

-33.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

4.08

-44.36%

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

Last update for Keelung: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seoul: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Keelung

$341 34.9%

Seoul

$477 26.6% 39.7% $136

Accommodation & Living

Keelung

$254 26%

Seoul

$612 34.1% 141% $358

Eating Out

Keelung

$106 10.9%

Seoul

$184 10.2% 72.8% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Keelung

$85 8.7%

Seoul

$110 6.1% 30% $25

Getting Around

Keelung

$74 7.5%

Seoul

$57 3.2% 22.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Keelung

$68 6.9%

Seoul

$274 15.3% 305% $206

Sport & Entertainment

Keelung

$50 5.1%

Seoul

$81 4.5% 61.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Keelung and $901 in Seoul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 50% 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: $32.00 in Keelung vs $68.0 in Seoul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $477 per month, with Keelung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Keelung

🇰🇷 Seoul

🕒 Local time

01:23 1:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

1 h ahead of Keelung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

372,100

9,509,458 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

South Korean Won KRW ₩

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

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).

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Keelung Seoul 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Keelung
Seoul

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 Seoul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Seoul differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($978 vs $1,794 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Seoul. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $401 in Keelung versus $901 in Seoul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Seoul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Keelung – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $68.0 in Seoul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Keelung versus $1,794 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Seoul. 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 Seoul 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 84% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.