Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Taipei

For one person, living is cheaper in Kinmen: $1,088 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Kinmen
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Kinmen Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index

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Kinmen

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,088

/mo nomad

Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kinmen and in Taipei

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kinmen and in Taipei actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,088 per month in Kinmen vs $1,368 in Taipei, rent included.

Kinmen $1,088
Taipei $1,368

A couple spends around $1,849 per month in Kinmen vs $2,202 in Taipei, rent included.

Kinmen $1,849
Taipei $2,202

A family of three spends $2,611 per month in Kinmen vs $3,036 in Taipei, rent included.

Kinmen $2,611
Taipei $3,036

Kinmen is about 20% cheaper than Taipei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kinmen sits 19% below the global median, while Taipei is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.77 NT$155

$4.60 NT$149

3.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.40 NT$1,018

$47.13 NT$1,528

-33.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.75 NT$154

$5.58 NT$181

-14.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 NT$94.0

$3.45 NT$112

-15.94%

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

$0.98 NT$31.62

$0.94 NT$30.61

4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 NT$21.01

$0.67 NT$21.73

-2.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 NT$50.1

$2.86 NT$92.7

-45.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$82.9

$3.70 NT$120

-30.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 NT$98.2

$3.12 NT$101

-2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 NT$60.8

$1.97 NT$64.0

-5.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 NT$96.1

$3.16 NT$103

-6.33%

Eggs

$2.71 NT$87.9

$2.68 NT$86.9

1.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 NT$633

$19.90 NT$645

-1.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.82 NT$254

$9.85 NT$319

-20.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.99 NT$681

$21.51 NT$698

-2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 NT$139

$4.85 NT$157

-11.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NT$81.0

$3.25 NT$105

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.7

$3.03 NT$98.2

-1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 NT$105

$4.53 NT$147

-28.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 NT$92.1

$2.79 NT$90.4

1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 NT$69.7

$2.34 NT$75.9

-8.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 NT$64.8

$1.68 NT$54.5

19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.85

$1.10 NT$35.62

-2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$128

$3.80 NT$123

3.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 NT$410

$14.17 NT$460

-10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$52.9

$1.63 NT$53.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.75

$0.65 NT$21.04

-6.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.67 NT$1,189

$37.88 NT$1,228

-3.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 NT$88.8

$2.68 NT$86.8

2.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.72

$0.82 NT$26.55

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.51 NT$308

$9.17 NT$297

3.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.92

$1.02 NT$32.93

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

$34.3K NT$1.1M

$32.8K NT$1.1M

4.52%

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

$24.7K NT$801.0K

$24.5K NT$795.1K

0.75%

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

$88.5 NT$2,869

$87.7 NT$2,843

0.90%

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

$17.67 NT$573

$17.28 NT$560

2.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 NT$727

$27.38 NT$888

-18.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.07 NT$1,202

$40.32 NT$1,308

-8.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

Cinema Ticket

$9.78 NT$317

$9.83 NT$319

-0.51%

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

$535 NT$17.3K

$663 NT$21.5K

-19.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$538.1K

$16.6K NT$538.4K

-0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.5 NT$2,092

$62.4 NT$2,025

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.43 NT$1,019

$39.51 NT$1,281

-20.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 NT$2,757

$84.5 NT$2,740

0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,284

$106 NT$3,424

-4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 NT$13.3K

$999 NT$32.4K

-59.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 NT$8,261

$473 NT$15.3K

-46.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 NT$31.5K

$1,565 NT$50.8K

-37.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 NT$24.2K

$948 NT$30.7K

-21.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,994 NT$259.2K

$11.9K NT$385.6K

-32.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,078 NT$164.7K

$7,306 NT$236.9K

-30.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 NT$57.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.38

2.4

-0.83%

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

Last update for Kinmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Taipei: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kinmen

$369 33.9%

Taipei

$400 29.3% 8.6% $32

Accommodation & Living

Kinmen

$255 23.4%

Taipei

$473 34.6% 85.8% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kinmen

$129 11.8%

Taipei

$132 9.7% 2.9% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Kinmen

$127 11.7%

Taipei

$131 9.6% 3.5% $4.4

Eating Out

Kinmen

$107 9.8%

Taipei

$123 9% 15.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Kinmen

$57 5.2%

Taipei

$60 4.4% 5.9% $3.4

Getting Around

Kinmen

$46 4.2%

Taipei

$47 3.5% 2.8% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Kinmen versus $999 in Taipei. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Kinmen versus $47.00 in Taipei. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $400 – making Kinmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Kinmen

🇹🇼 Taipei

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Kinmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,568

2,635,286 Capital

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Taipei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,632 per month in Kinmen and $2,052 in Taipei. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kinmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $535 per month in Kinmen and $663 in Taipei. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Taipei, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kinmen, where all-in costs run around $1,088, than in Taipei at $1,368. In Kinmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kinmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kinmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taipei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.