Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Zhubei City Cost of Living Comparison Between Kinmen and Zhubei City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,097 per month in Kinmen vs $1,059 in Zhubei City, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,883 per month in Kinmen vs $1,837 in Zhubei City, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,669 per month in Kinmen vs $2,616 in Zhubei City, rent included.

Kinmen costs about 4% more than Zhubei City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Kinmen and Zhubei City are more affordable than the global median – Kinmen 20% lower, Zhubei City 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 NT$150

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.24 NT$1,026

$27.90 NT$888

15.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 NT$152

$5.16 NT$164

-7.56%

Cappuccino

$2.92 NT$93.0

$3.06 NT$97.4

-4.58%

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

$0.92 NT$29.27

$0.95 NT$30.28

-3.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.11

$0.56 NT$17.98

30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 NT$52.5

$1.88 NT$59.7

-12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 NT$79.8

$2.56 NT$81.4

-1.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 NT$96.7

$2.96 NT$94.1

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$61.1

$1.83 NT$58.2

4.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 NT$91.4

$4.63 NT$147

-38.01%

Eggs

$2.72 NT$86.5

$2.87 NT$91.3

-5.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.04 NT$638

$25.09 NT$799

-20.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 NT$253

$8.74 NT$278

-9.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.41 NT$682

$25.46 NT$810

-15.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 NT$136

$4.11 NT$131

3.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 NT$77.9

$2.55 NT$81.1

-3.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 NT$96.6

$2.78 NT$88.6

9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.7

$3.41 NT$108

-8.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NT$85.9

$3.05 NT$97.0

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.9

$2.05 NT$65.3

3.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.9

$2.01 NT$64.1

16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.05

$1.35 NT$42.93

-18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$126

$4.00 NT$127

-1.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 NT$389

$9.29 NT$296

31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.5

$1.42 NT$45.21

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NT$70.2

$2.02 NT$64.2

8.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$20.70

$0.60 NT$19.09

8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.78 NT$1,171

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 NT$87.9

$3.11 NT$98.9

-11.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$25.50

$0.65 NT$20.55

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 NT$306

$9.36 NT$298

2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 NT$33.28

$1.03 NT$32.78

1.94%

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

$33.4K NT$1.1M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

-0.97%

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

$24.7K NT$787.8K

$25.3K NT$805.1K

-2.15%

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

$89.3 NT$2,844

$103 NT$3,268

-12.98%

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

$18.27 NT$582

$19.77 NT$629

-7.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.19 NT$706

$23.52 NT$749

-5.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.02 NT$1,178

$31.76 NT$1,011

16.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 NT$325

$10.06 NT$320

1.39%

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

$529 NT$16.8K

$663 NT$21.1K

-20.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K NT$547.2K

$16.7K NT$532.7K

2.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 NT$2,008

$58.3 NT$1,856

8.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.58 NT$1,101

$32.07 NT$1,021

7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 NT$2,697

$94.1 NT$2,994

-9.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 NT$3,187

$98.2 NT$3,126

1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 NT$12.9K

$500 NT$15.9K

-19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 NT$8,228

$216 NT$6,882

19.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 NT$31.1K

$1,124 NT$35.8K

-13.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$754 NT$24.0K

$785 NT$25.0K

-4.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,256 NT$231.0K

$16.4K NT$521.6K

-55.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,030 NT$160.1K

$9,587 NT$305.2K

-47.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,410 NT$76.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

2.4

-5.42%

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

Last update for Kinmen: September 13, 2026

Last update for Zhubei City: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $405 in Kinmen versus $500 in Zhubei City. 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 $32.00 in Kinmen versus $28.00 in Zhubei City. Groceries tell a different story – $372 in Kinmen vs $404 in Zhubei City – so Kinmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Zhubei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kinmen is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,646 per month in Kinmen and $1,588 in Zhubei City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Kinmen and $28.00 in Zhubei City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Kinmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhubei City, where all-in costs run around $1,059, than in Kinmen at $1,097. In Zhubei City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kinmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhubei City – 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 Zhubei City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kinmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.