Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Taipei Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Taipei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,272 in Keelung versus $1,494 in Taipei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Keelung versus $2,394 in Taipei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,893 in Keelung versus $3,295 in Taipei.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 15% less than in Taipei, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 5% below, Taipei is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 NT$156

$6.64 NT$209

-25.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.19 NT$950

$40.45 NT$1,273

-25.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.56 NT$175

$5.79 NT$182

-3.97%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.3

$3.75 NT$118

-20.27%

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

$1.12 NT$35.18

$1.13 NT$35.42

-0.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 NT$26.72

$0.72 NT$22.75

18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$69.0

$3.31 NT$104

-33.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 NT$89.9

$3.30 NT$104

-13.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.45 NT$108

$3.12 NT$98.2

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 NT$46.46

$1.98 NT$62.3

-25.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 NT$37.84

$3.07 NT$96.5

-60.91%

Eggs

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.91 NT$91.7

-16.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.12 NT$979

$19.73 NT$621

57.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.00 NT$189

$9.90 NT$311

-39.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 NT$504

$20.36 NT$641

-21.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 NT$149

$5.15 NT$162

-8.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NT$56.8

$2.92 NT$91.8

-38.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$2.89 NT$90.8

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.5

$4.26 NT$134

-27.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 NT$42.38

$2.79 NT$88.0

-51.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 NT$60.1

$2.19 NT$69.1

-12.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NT$72.1

$1.97 NT$62.1

16.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NT$39.47

$1.39 NT$43.72

-10.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 NT$126

$4.00 NT$126

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 NT$305

$14.48 NT$456

-33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NT$38.08

$1.75 NT$55.1

-30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$80.2

$2.42 NT$76.2

5.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 NT$15.40

$0.89 NT$28.05

-44.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 NT$2,113

$41.16 NT$1,296

63.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.5

$2.91 NT$91.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NT$37.13

$0.79 NT$24.94

49.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 NT$319

$10.05 NT$316

1.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$32.90

$1.07 NT$33.63

-1.87%

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

$33.2K NT$1.0M

$38.1K NT$1.2M

-12.90%

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

$26.1K NT$820.6K

$27.9K NT$877.6K

-6.50%

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

$43.91 NT$1,382

$84.9 NT$2,672

-48.28%

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

$24.18 NT$761

$18.69 NT$588

29.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.88 NT$374

$24.75 NT$779

-52.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NT$1,152

$42.03 NT$1,323

-12.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.23 NT$1,077

$14.06 NT$443

143.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 NT$261

$11.84 NT$373

-29.90%

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

$358 NT$11.3K

$626 NT$19.7K

-42.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K NT$653.5K

$18.6K NT$586.5K

11.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 NT$2,698

$58.9 NT$1,855

45.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.71 NT$1,093

$34.01 NT$1,071

2.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 NT$1,581

$95.1 NT$2,995

-47.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.65 NT$1,059

$124 NT$3,891

-72.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 NT$18.9K

$789 NT$24.8K

-23.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$511 NT$16.1K

$541 NT$17.0K

-5.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 NT$34.6K

$1,667 NT$52.5K

-34.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 NT$32.5K

$1,113 NT$35.0K

-7.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,381 NT$106.4K

$13.7K NT$430.6K

-75.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 NT$73.5K

$8,450 NT$266.0K

-72.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,440 NT$76.8K

$1,713 NT$53.9K

42.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.19

-0.46%

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

Last update for Keelung: May 31, 2026

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Keelung and $789 in Taipei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 42% 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 $40.00 in Taipei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $401 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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Taipei differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,272 vs $1,494 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Keelung pays 42% 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: $602 in Keelung versus $789 in Taipei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Taipei. 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 $30.00 versus $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,272 in Keelung versus $1,494 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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 Taipei 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 17% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.