Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,124 in Kinmen versus $1,108 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,864 in Kinmen versus $1,874 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,603 in Kinmen versus $2,641 in Hua-lien.

Living in Kinmen is roughly 1% more expensive than Hua-lien, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kinmen 16% lower, Hua-lien 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 NT$165

$4.05 NT$127

29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.74 NT$967

$33.61 NT$1,058

-8.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$172

$4.51 NT$142

21.06%

Cappuccino

$2.91 NT$91.5

$3.40 NT$107

-14.41%

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

$1.09 NT$34.45

$0.97 NT$30.47

12.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.33

$0.64 NT$20.19

20.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 NT$59.4

$1.31 NT$41.28

44.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NT$83.2

$2.02 NT$63.5

30.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$103

$3.26 NT$102

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$59.9

$1.79 NT$56.2

6.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NT$87.9

$4.36 NT$137

-36.01%

Eggs

$2.84 NT$89.3

$2.53 NT$79.5

12.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.85 NT$593

$13.93 NT$439

35.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 NT$252

$4.77 NT$150

67.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 NT$543

$16.15 NT$508

6.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 NT$144

$4.38 NT$138

4.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$80.7

$2.49 NT$78.5

2.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 NT$84.2

$4.16 NT$131

-35.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 NT$110

$3.87 NT$122

-9.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$4.59 NT$145

-37.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$70.4

$4.03 NT$127

-44.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NT$61.7

$2.56 NT$80.6

-23.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NT$39.49

$1.35 NT$42.43

-7.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 NT$132

$5.10 NT$160

-17.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.40 NT$453

$14.09 NT$443

2.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.1

$2.13 NT$67.1

-22.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$77.8

$2.78 NT$87.4

-11.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$27.89

$0.83 NT$26.25

7.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.20 NT$1,234

$38.74 NT$1,220

1.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.5

$3.35 NT$106

-12.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.35

$0.72 NT$22.75

6.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NT$324

$12.74 NT$401

-19.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.49

$1.02 NT$32.11

3.92%

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

$35.9K NT$1.1M

$41.5K NT$1.3M

-13.57%

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

$25.7K NT$808.1K

$29.6K NT$931.0K

-13.20%

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

$86.4 NT$2,719

$74.7 NT$2,352

15.58%

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

$24.55 NT$773

$33.24 NT$1,046

-26.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.48 NT$708

$25.19 NT$793

-10.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 NT$1,156

$37.04 NT$1,166

-0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.18 NT$478

$15.45 NT$486

-1.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 NT$317

$9.02 NT$284

11.53%

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

$419 NT$13.2K

$779 NT$24.5K

-46.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K NT$482.6K

$15.5K NT$489.3K

-1.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,647

$27.58 NT$868

204.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.75 NT$1,094

$46.63 NT$1,468

-25.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NT$2,864

$70.3 NT$2,214

29.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,244

$124 NT$3,908

-17.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 NT$13.8K

$439 NT$13.8K

0.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 NT$8,994

$283 NT$8,904

1.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 NT$32.6K

$1,021 NT$32.1K

1.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 NT$23.3K

$741 NT$23.3K

-0.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,661 NT$241.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,295 NT$166.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,890 NT$91.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

1.57

38.85%

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

Last update for Kinmen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Kinmen and $439 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kinmen vs $34.00 in Hua-lien. Groceries flip the comparison at $367 vs $358, with Hua-lien 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

Kinmen vs Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Kinmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,686 in Kinmen and $1,661 in Hua-lien to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $440 in Kinmen versus $439 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Kinmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $31.00 in Kinmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,108 in Hua-lien versus $1,124 in Kinmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Kinmen. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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, Kinmen and Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Kinmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.