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 $1,120 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,876 in Kinmen versus $1,858 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,629 in Kinmen versus $2,597 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 16% lower, Hua-lien 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.07 NT$164

$4.16 NT$134

21.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.83 NT$995

$33.92 NT$1,095

-9.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$179

$4.68 NT$151

18.38%

Cappuccino

$2.92 NT$94.3

$3.55 NT$115

-17.75%

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

$1.04 NT$33.58

$0.97 NT$31.38

7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$23.24

$0.64 NT$20.69

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 NT$59.3

$1.28 NT$41.28

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NT$88.5

$1.97 NT$63.5

39.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.31 NT$107

$3.26 NT$105

1.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 NT$62.9

$1.83 NT$59.0

6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.89 NT$93.4

$4.53 NT$146

-36.20%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$92.0

$2.54 NT$81.9

12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.49 NT$597

$14.05 NT$453

31.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 NT$261

$4.72 NT$152

71.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 NT$555

$15.79 NT$510

8.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 NT$151

$4.45 NT$144

4.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 NT$81.6

$2.44 NT$78.7

3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 NT$85.3

$4.29 NT$138

-38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 NT$111

$3.92 NT$127

-11.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 NT$89.4

$4.59 NT$148

-39.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NT$70.1

$4.16 NT$134

-47.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 NT$66.6

$2.63 NT$84.8

-21.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NT$38.58

$1.33 NT$42.78

-9.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 NT$131

$4.93 NT$159

-17.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 NT$451

$14.15 NT$457

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$53.8

$2.25 NT$72.7

-25.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.6

$2.88 NT$93.1

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 NT$27.99

$0.84 NT$26.98

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.33 NT$1,269

$39.30 NT$1,268

0.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 NT$95.5

$3.42 NT$110

-13.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$25.75

$0.79 NT$25.61

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.22 NT$330

$12.61 NT$407

-18.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$34.57

$1.06 NT$34.31

0.94%

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

$35.3K NT$1.1M

$42.3K NT$1.4M

-16.41%

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

$26.5K NT$856.3K

$28.7K NT$926.3K

-7.56%

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

$86.1 NT$2,778

$76.1 NT$2,455

13.15%

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

$24.37 NT$787

$33.70 NT$1,088

-27.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 NT$729

$25.26 NT$815

-10.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.68 NT$1,184

$37.01 NT$1,194

-0.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.95 NT$482

$15.46 NT$499

-3.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 NT$325

$9.06 NT$293

11.04%

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

$424 NT$13.7K

$787 NT$25.4K

-46.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K NT$508.6K

$15.7K NT$505.5K

0.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 NT$2,633

$26.95 NT$870

202.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.43 NT$1,111

$47.29 NT$1,526

-27.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 NT$2,945

$70.4 NT$2,273

29.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NT$3,298

$127 NT$4,084

-19.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$424 NT$13.7K

$437 NT$14.1K

-2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 NT$9,463

$283 NT$9,149

3.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NT$33.6K

$1,023 NT$33.0K

1.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 NT$23.7K

$728 NT$23.5K

0.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,302 NT$203.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,564 NT$147.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,897 NT$93.5K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $424 in Kinmen and $437 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 $366 vs $360, 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

You'd need roughly $1,685 in Kinmen and $1,680 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: $424 in Kinmen versus $437 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $424 in Kinmen versus $787 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 $34.00 versus $31.00 in Kinmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,120 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.

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.