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: $1,097 in Kinmen versus $1,097 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,883 in Kinmen versus $1,856 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,669 in Kinmen versus $2,615 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs are close between Kinmen and Hua-lien; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kinmen 20% lower, Hua-lien 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 NT$150

$4.16 NT$132

12.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.24 NT$1,026

$28.51 NT$907

13.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 NT$152

$4.23 NT$135

12.77%

Cappuccino

$2.92 NT$93.0

$2.84 NT$90.4

2.82%

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

$0.92 NT$29.27

$0.94 NT$29.92

-2.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.11

$0.55 NT$17.42

32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 NT$52.5

$1.38 NT$43.98

19.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 NT$79.8

$2.10 NT$67.0

19.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 NT$96.7

$2.82 NT$89.8

7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$61.1

$1.68 NT$53.4

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$91.4

$4.55 NT$145

-36.92%

Eggs

$2.72 NT$86.5

$1.90 NT$60.5

43.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.04 NT$638

$19.71 NT$627

1.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 NT$253

$6.33 NT$201

25.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.41 NT$682

$25.80 NT$821

-17.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 NT$136

$2.69 NT$85.6

58.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 NT$77.9

$2.60 NT$82.7

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NT$96.6

$3.28 NT$104

-7.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.7

$3.20 NT$102

-2.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NT$85.9

$2.34 NT$74.4

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.9

$2.45 NT$77.9

-13.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.9

$2.02 NT$64.2

16.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.05

$0.91 NT$29.12

20.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$126

$3.87 NT$123

2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 NT$389

$12.61 NT$401

-3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.5

$1.98 NT$63.1

-19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NT$70.2

$2.36 NT$75.0

-6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.70

$0.61 NT$19.34

6.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.78 NT$1,171

$35.79 NT$1,139

2.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NT$87.9

$3.24 NT$103

-14.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$25.50

$0.31 NT$9.86

158.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 NT$306

$10.36 NT$330

-7.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.28

$0.89 NT$28.23

17.98%

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

$33.4K NT$1.1M

$33.3K NT$1.1M

0.19%

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

$24.7K NT$787.8K

$27.3K NT$870.2K

-9.47%

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

$89.3 NT$2,844

$102 NT$3,232

-12.00%

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

$18.27 NT$582

$19.68 NT$626

-7.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.19 NT$706

$12.85 NT$409

72.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 NT$1,178

$36.75 NT$1,170

0.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 NT$325

$10.10 NT$322

0.99%

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

$529 NT$16.8K

$754 NT$24.0K

-29.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K NT$547.2K

$16.9K NT$538.2K

1.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 NT$2,008

$58.8 NT$1,872

7.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.58 NT$1,101

$35.99 NT$1,146

-3.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 NT$2,697

$80.9 NT$2,575

4.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NT$3,187

$106 NT$3,362

-5.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 NT$12.9K

$417 NT$13.3K

-2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 NT$8,228

$253 NT$8,045

2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 NT$31.1K

$983 NT$31.3K

-0.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 NT$24.0K

$755 NT$24.0K

-0.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,256 NT$231.0K

$7,481 NT$238.1K

-3.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,030 NT$160.1K

$5,013 NT$159.6K

0.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,942 NT$93.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

2.13

6.57%

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

Last update for Kinmen: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Kinmen and $417 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kinmen vs $29.00 in Hua-lien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $368 per month, with Hua-lien 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

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

You'd need roughly $1,646 in Kinmen and $1,646 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: $405 in Kinmen versus $417 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $529 in Kinmen versus $754 in Hua-lien. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $32.00 in Kinmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,097 in Hua-lien versus $1,097 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.

It comes down to priorities – Hua-lien wins on affordability, Kinmen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.