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: $967 in Keelung versus $1,116 in Taichung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,708 in Keelung versus $1,868 in Taichung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,450 in Keelung versus $2,619 in Taichung.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 13% less than in Taichung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 29% lower, Taichung 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.88 NT$155

$4.69 NT$149

4.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.81 NT$1,013

$31.50 NT$1,003

0.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 NT$153

$4.71 NT$150

1.70%

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$90.6

$2.84 NT$90.4

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

$1.00 NT$31.74

$0.98 NT$31.26

2.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.24

$0.77 NT$24.66

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 NT$49.49

$1.57 NT$49.97

-1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 NT$90.5

$2.79 NT$88.8

1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$99.3

$3.31 NT$105

-5.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 NT$44.29

$1.72 NT$54.9

-19.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 NT$37.68

$2.64 NT$84.2

-55.30%

Eggs

$2.25 NT$71.6

$2.63 NT$83.6

-14.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.54 NT$940

$28.72 NT$914

2.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 NT$180

$7.70 NT$245

-26.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.02 NT$542

$16.71 NT$532

1.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 NT$140

$4.24 NT$135

3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.6

$1.92 NT$61.0

2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 NT$56.3

$1.86 NT$59.3

-4.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 NT$70.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.12

$1.25 NT$39.85

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NT$60.5

$1.97 NT$62.6

-3.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 NT$78.2

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.71

$0.92 NT$29.15

-2.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$121

$3.75 NT$120

1.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 NT$310

$15.82 NT$504

-38.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 NT$34.57

$1.64 NT$52.3

-33.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.6

$2.56 NT$81.5

-3.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.45

$0.73 NT$23.24

-16.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 NT$2,004

$31.76 NT$1,011

98.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 NT$87.4

$2.69 NT$85.7

2.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 NT$31.45

$0.98 NT$31.20

1.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 NT$298

$9.64 NT$307

-3.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.12

$1.06 NT$33.59

-1.89%

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

$34.3K NT$1.1M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

1.82%

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

$23.4K NT$743.6K

$23.2K NT$738.9K

0.64%

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

$41.86 NT$1,332

$108 NT$3,429

-61.14%

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

$15.24 NT$485

$14.98 NT$477

1.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.29 NT$359

$21.66 NT$689

-47.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.55 NT$1,132

$32.20 NT$1,025

10.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.90 NT$1,015

$13.29 NT$423

140.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.76 NT$247

$9.69 NT$308

-19.92%

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

$348 NT$11.1K

$343 NT$10.9K

1.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$539.4K

$17.2K NT$546.1K

-1.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 NT$2,214

$68.9 NT$2,193

0.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.18 NT$1,152

$36.40 NT$1,159

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.34 NT$1,539

$83.3 NT$2,650

-41.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.31 NT$997

$112 NT$3,577

-72.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 NT$12.9K

0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 NT$8,001

$280 NT$8,918

-10.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 NT$32.1K

$1,190 NT$37.9K

-15.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 NT$23.3K

$763 NT$24.3K

-4.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,420 NT$108.9K

$7,101 NT$226.0K

-51.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 NT$74.8K

$5,181 NT$164.9K

-54.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,491 NT$79.3K

$1,407 NT$44.8K

77.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

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

Last update for Keelung: September 12, 2026

Last update for Taichung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Keelung and $405 in Taichung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 77% 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 $32.00 in Taichung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $371 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 15% in total monthly costs ($967 vs $1,116 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 77% 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: $405 in Keelung versus $405 in Taichung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Taichung. 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 $32.00 in Taichung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $967 in Keelung versus $1,116 in Taichung, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Taichung. 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 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 Keelung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Taichung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.