Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Keelung versus $1,182 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,040 in Keelung versus $1,940 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,808 in Keelung versus $2,698 in Taichung.

Living in Keelung is roughly 8% more expensive than Taichung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 5% lower, Taichung 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.17 NT$163

$4.98 NT$158

3.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.43 NT$962

$30.88 NT$976

-1.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.40 NT$171

$5.39 NT$171

0.19%

Cappuccino

$2.94 NT$92.9

$3.04 NT$96.2

-3.29%

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

$1.10 NT$34.73

$1.10 NT$34.75

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 NT$25.46

$0.80 NT$25.19

1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 NT$66.3

$2.17 NT$68.5

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 NT$93.3

$2.82 NT$89.2

4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.40 NT$108

$3.77 NT$119

-9.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 NT$47.15

$1.75 NT$55.3

-14.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 NT$35.97

$2.72 NT$86.1

-58.09%

Eggs

$2.48 NT$78.5

$3.25 NT$103

-23.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.37 NT$992

$31.55 NT$997

-0.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 NT$196

$7.90 NT$250

-21.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 NT$503

$15.51 NT$490

2.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 NT$143

$4.50 NT$142

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 NT$55.6

$1.79 NT$56.7

-1.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 NT$71.3

$2.19 NT$69.2

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 NT$97.7

$2.95 NT$93.2

4.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 NT$42.58

$1.34 NT$42.24

0.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 NT$61.4

$1.87 NT$59.2

3.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NT$72.3

$2.37 NT$75.0

-3.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NT$39.80

$1.26 NT$39.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 NT$126

$4.14 NT$131

-4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 NT$307

$16.02 NT$507

-39.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NT$38.72

$1.70 NT$53.8

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NT$83.7

$2.63 NT$83.2

0.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 NT$15.48

$0.88 NT$27.78

-44.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 NT$2,151

$28.52 NT$902

138.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$88.9

$2.82 NT$89.0

-0.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 NT$37.89

$1.19 NT$37.55

0.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 NT$319

$10.27 NT$325

-1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.04

$1.05 NT$33.23

-3.81%

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

$33.4K NT$1.1M

$33.3K NT$1.1M

0.35%

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

$26.1K NT$823.7K

$26.4K NT$834.0K

-1.24%

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

$44.01 NT$1,391

$95.6 NT$3,022

-53.95%

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

$24.37 NT$771

$25.01 NT$791

-2.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.78 NT$372

$21.47 NT$679

-45.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.04 NT$1,171

$35.63 NT$1,126

3.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.67 NT$1,064

$10.26 NT$324

228.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 NT$275

$10.63 NT$336

-18.25%

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

$364 NT$11.5K

$355 NT$11.2K

2.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K NT$649.6K

$21.0K NT$665.4K

-2.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.6 NT$2,643

$83.0 NT$2,625

0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 NT$1,089

$34.55 NT$1,092

-0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 NT$1,586

$93.8 NT$2,966

-46.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.81 NT$1,069

$130 NT$4,116

-74.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 NT$19.3K

$381 NT$12.0K

60.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$516 NT$16.3K

$285 NT$8,999

81.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 NT$35.5K

$1,028 NT$32.5K

9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 NT$32.2K

$721 NT$22.8K

41.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 NT$107.2K

$7,118 NT$225.0K

-52.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,361 NT$74.6K

$5,250 NT$166.0K

-55.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,435 NT$77.0K

$1,386 NT$43.8K

75.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

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

Last update for Keelung: June 6, 2026

Last update for Taichung: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $610 in Keelung and $381 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 76% 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: $30.00 in Keelung vs $31.00 in Taichung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $395 per month, with Keelung cheaper across the board.

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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Taichung differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,182 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Keelung pays 76% 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: $610 in Keelung versus $381 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Keelung pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Taichung – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $30.00 in Keelung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,182 in Taichung versus $1,273 in Keelung, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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 Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.