Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuwait City and Keelung Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuwait City and Keelung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,427 in Kuwait City versus $1,272 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,375 in Kuwait City versus $2,083 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,322 in Kuwait City versus $2,893 in Keelung.

Living in Kuwait City is roughly 12% more expensive than Keelung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuwait City is 6% above, Keelung is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 KWD 3.09

$4.96 NT$156

102.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 KWD 25.46

$30.19 NT$950

174.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.77 KWD 2.69

$5.56 NT$175

57.73%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 KWD 0.75

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 KWD 1.15

Cappuccino

$5.95 KWD 1.83

$2.99 NT$94.3

99.00%

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

$0.69 KWD 0.21

$1.12 NT$35.18

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$0.85 NT$26.72

-58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 NT$69.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 NT$89.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 KWD 0.48

$3.45 NT$108

-54.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 KWD 0.39

$1.48 NT$46.46

-12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 KWD 0.53

$1.20 NT$37.84

43.33%

Eggs

$2.03 KWD 0.62

$2.42 NT$76.2

-16.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.16 KWD 1.58

$31.12 NT$979

-83.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.64 KWD 2.04

$6.00 NT$189

10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.28 KWD 3.15

$16.00 NT$504

-35.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 KWD 0.73

$4.72 NT$149

-49.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 KWD 0.60

$1.80 NT$56.8

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 KWD 0.54

$2.21 NT$69.5

-20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 KWD 0.44

$3.07 NT$96.5

-53.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.35 NT$42.38

-8.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 KWD 0.39

$1.91 NT$60.1

-33.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 KWD 0.50

$2.29 NT$72.1

-29.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 KWD 0.15

$1.25 NT$39.47

-61.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.31 KWD 1.02

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 KWD 0.91

$4.01 NT$126

-25.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.70 NT$305

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NT$38.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$80.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 KWD 0.26

$0.49 NT$15.40

75.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 KWD 11.92

$67.1 NT$2,113

-42.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 KWD 0.99

$2.91 NT$91.5

11.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 KWD 0.98

$1.18 NT$37.13

170.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.27 KWD 4.99

$10.15 NT$319

60.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.05 NT$32.90

-65.71%

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

$20.8K KWD 6,390

$33.2K NT$1.0M

-37.29%

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

$19.6K KWD 6,013

$26.1K NT$820.6K

-24.79%

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

$62.4 KWD 19.14

$43.91 NT$1,382

42.11%

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

$18.33 KWD 5.62

$24.18 NT$761

-24.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.30 KWD 7.76

$11.88 NT$374

112.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 KWD 33.32

$36.59 NT$1,152

196.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.90 KWD 6.41

$34.23 NT$1,077

-38.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 KWD 3.47

$8.30 NT$261

36.51%

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

$402 KWD 123

$358 NT$11.3K

12.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,711 KWD 2,058

$20.8K NT$653.5K

-67.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.86 KWD 13.14

$85.7 NT$2,698

-49.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.89 KWD 13.15

$34.71 NT$1,093

23.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 KWD 26.45

$50.2 NT$1,581

71.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 KWD 25.20

$33.65 NT$1,059

144.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 KWD 273

$602 NT$18.9K

47.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$666 KWD 204

$511 NT$16.1K

30.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 KWD 541

$1,099 NT$34.6K

60.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 KWD 421

$1,033 NT$32.5K

32.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,320 KWD 1,632

$3,381 NT$106.4K

57.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 KWD 727

$2,334 NT$73.5K

1.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,052 KWD 629

$2,440 NT$76.8K

-15.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

2.18

227.52%

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

Last update for Kuwait City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Keelung: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $890 in Kuwait City and $602 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Kuwait City vs $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $356, with Kuwait City 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

Kuwait City vs Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuwait City and Keelung differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,427 vs $1,272 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 19% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $890 in Kuwait City versus $602 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kuwait City pay roughly 99% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Keelung – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $83.0 in Kuwait City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,272 in Keelung versus $1,427 in Kuwait City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Kuwait City. The gap between the two cities makes Keelung 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, Kuwait City and Keelung 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 Keelung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Kuwait City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.