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: $1,497 in Kuwait City versus $948 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,433 in Kuwait City versus $1,664 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,369 in Kuwait City versus $2,379 in Keelung.

Living in Kuwait City is roughly 58% more expensive than in Keelung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuwait City is 9% above, Keelung is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.93 KWD 3.99

$4.84 NT$153

167.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 KWD 19.63

$32.01 NT$1,014

98.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.72 KWD 2.69

$4.76 NT$151

83.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 KWD 1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 KWD 1.53

Cappuccino

$5.30 KWD 1.64

$2.84 NT$89.8

86.62%

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

$0.74 KWD 0.23

$1.00 NT$31.52

-26.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 KWD 0.11

$0.73 NT$23.26

-53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 NT$48.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.5

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 KWD 0.49

$3.17 NT$100

-50.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 KWD 0.47

$1.37 NT$43.33

12.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 KWD 0.59

$1.14 NT$36.25

66.67%

Eggs

$2.16 KWD 0.67

$2.30 NT$72.8

-6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.44 KWD 1.37

$28.41 NT$900

-84.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 KWD 2.05

$5.73 NT$181

15.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 KWD 3.17

$17.02 NT$539

-39.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 KWD 0.76

$4.38 NT$139

-43.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 KWD 0.60

$1.98 NT$62.6

-2.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$1.84 NT$58.3

-2.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 KWD 0.47

$2.25 NT$71.3

-31.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

$1.25 NT$39.55

9.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 KWD 0.46

$1.89 NT$59.9

-21.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 KWD 0.74

$2.33 NT$73.8

2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 KWD 0.17

$0.85 NT$27.00

-36.47%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.19 KWD 0.99

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.67 KWD 0.82

$3.92 NT$124

-31.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.23 NT$292

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NT$35.44

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$79.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KWD 0.25

$0.60 NT$19.14

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.22 KWD 14.90

$61.8 NT$1,957

-21.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 KWD 1.46

$2.63 NT$83.2

80.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.26 KWD 1.01

$0.93 NT$29.39

250.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.34 KWD 5.05

$9.27 NT$294

76.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.35 KWD 0.11

$1.01 NT$31.86

-65.35%

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

$20.7K KWD 6,390

$33.2K NT$1.1M

-37.68%

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

$20.2K KWD 6,239

$23.0K NT$729.6K

-12.32%

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

$64.9 KWD 20.06

$40.55 NT$1,284

60.15%

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

$22.24 KWD 6.87

$14.70 NT$466

51.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.52 KWD 9.12

$11.09 NT$351

166.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 KWD 38.08

$34.73 NT$1,100

254.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.45 KWD 10.02

$31.76 NT$1,006

2.17%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 KWD 3.56

$7.74 NT$245

48.84%

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

$303 KWD 93.5

$339 NT$10.8K

-10.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,492 KWD 2,932

$17.6K NT$557.9K

-46.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.42 KWD 11.87

$69.2 NT$2,190

-44.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.37 KWD 12.16

$36.34 NT$1,151

8.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 KWD 30.38

$47.61 NT$1,508

106.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 KWD 27.60

$31.52 NT$998

183.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 KWD 286

$393 NT$12.4K

135.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 KWD 197

$253 NT$8,026

151.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 KWD 616

$970 NT$30.7K

105.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 KWD 414

$738 NT$23.4K

81.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 KWD 1,658

$3,435 NT$108.8K

56.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,407 KWD 744

$2,335 NT$73.9K

3.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,080 KWD 643

$2,459 NT$77.9K

-15.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

2.27

187.67%

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

Last update for Kuwait City: August 30, 2026

Last update for Keelung: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $925 in Kuwait City and $393 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Kuwait City vs $32.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $186 vs $333, 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,497 vs $948 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Keelung. 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: $925 in Kuwait City versus $393 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kuwait City pay roughly 78% 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 $32.00 versus $64.0 in Kuwait City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $948 in Keelung versus $1,497 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 58% less than in Kuwait City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.