Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,124 in Kinmen versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,864 in Kinmen versus $1,925 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,603 in Kinmen versus $2,701 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Kinmen costs roughly 2% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kinmen 16% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 NT$165

$4.03 NT$127

29.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.74 NT$967

$33.84 NT$1,065

-9.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$172

$5.54 NT$174

-1.44%

Cappuccino

$2.91 NT$91.5

$3.08 NT$96.8

-5.52%

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

$1.09 NT$34.45

$1.02 NT$32.01

6.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$24.33

$0.78 NT$24.41

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 NT$59.4

$1.72 NT$54.1

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 NT$83.2

$2.77 NT$87.2

-4.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$103

$3.62 NT$114

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$59.9

$2.05 NT$64.5

-7.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 NT$87.9

$2.76 NT$86.8

1.09%

Eggs

$2.84 NT$89.3

$3.21 NT$101

-11.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.85 NT$593

$15.85 NT$499

18.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 NT$252

$9.05 NT$285

-11.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 NT$543

$17.92 NT$564

-3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 NT$144

$6.00 NT$189

-23.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$80.7

$2.58 NT$81.2

-0.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 NT$84.2

$2.77 NT$87.1

-3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 NT$110

$4.15 NT$131

-15.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$2.99 NT$94.0

-4.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$70.4

$2.21 NT$69.7

1.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 NT$61.7

$1.94 NT$61.2

1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NT$39.49

$1.16 NT$36.44

7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 NT$132

$4.34 NT$137

-3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.40 NT$453

$15.85 NT$499

-9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.1

$1.73 NT$54.5

-4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$77.8

$2.54 NT$80.0

-2.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$27.89

$0.82 NT$25.70

8.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.20 NT$1,234

$26.88 NT$846

45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.5

$2.95 NT$93.0

-0.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.35

$0.73 NT$22.97

5.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.28 NT$324

$5.98 NT$188

71.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.49

$1.04 NT$32.73

1.92%

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

$35.9K NT$1.1M

$33.9K NT$1.1M

5.85%

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

$25.7K NT$808.1K

$25.1K NT$790.9K

2.17%

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

$86.4 NT$2,719

$104 NT$3,265

-16.73%

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

$24.55 NT$773

$25.58 NT$805

-4.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.48 NT$708

$25.14 NT$791

-10.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 NT$1,156

$38.16 NT$1,201

-3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.18 NT$478

$11.48 NT$361

32.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 NT$317

$10.07 NT$317

-0.10%

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

$419 NT$13.2K

$431 NT$13.6K

-2.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K NT$482.6K

$11.4K NT$358.3K

34.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 NT$2,647

$94.9 NT$2,987

-11.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.75 NT$1,094

$35.33 NT$1,112

-1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NT$2,864

$91.4 NT$2,878

-0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,244

$101 NT$3,170

2.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 NT$13.8K

$432 NT$13.6K

1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 NT$8,994

$282 NT$8,866

1.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 NT$32.6K

$940 NT$29.6K

9.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 NT$23.3K

$681 NT$21.4K

8.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,661 NT$241.2K

$4,727 NT$148.8K

62.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,295 NT$166.7K

$3,275 NT$103.1K

61.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,509 NT$47.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

2.3

-5.22%

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

Last update for Kinmen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Kinmen and $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Kinmen vs $34.00 in Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $385 per month, with Kinmen 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kinmen and Kaohsiung differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($1,124 vs $1,149 including rent). Kinmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,686 in Kinmen and $1,724 in Kaohsiung 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 $432 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $419 in Kinmen versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,124 in Kinmen versus $1,149 in Kaohsiung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kinmen but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Kinmen 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 Kaohsiung 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 Kinmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.