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: $1,469 in Kuwait City versus $1,273 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Kuwait City versus $2,039 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,411 in Kuwait City versus $2,805 in Keelung.

Living in Kuwait City is roughly 15% more expensive than in Keelung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kuwait City is 10% above, Keelung is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.88 KWD 3.04

$4.99 NT$162

98.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 KWD 24.79

$30.37 NT$983

165.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 KWD 2.85

$5.45 NT$176

69.91%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 KWD 0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 KWD 1.14

Cappuccino

$5.92 KWD 1.82

$3.07 NT$99.2

92.83%

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

$0.68 KWD 0.21

$1.16 NT$37.44

-41.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 KWD 0.12

$0.85 NT$27.59

-55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 NT$69.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NT$92.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 KWD 0.50

$3.36 NT$109

-51.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 KWD 0.40

$1.48 NT$47.96

-12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 KWD 0.55

$1.20 NT$38.83

49.17%

Eggs

$2.10 KWD 0.64

$2.38 NT$77.1

-11.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.28 KWD 1.62

$31.59 NT$1,022

-83.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.52 KWD 2.00

$5.99 NT$194

8.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.30 KWD 3.17

$15.69 NT$508

-34.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 KWD 0.75

$4.68 NT$152

-48.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 KWD 0.58

$1.81 NT$58.5

4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KWD 0.55

$2.23 NT$72.2

-20.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 KWD 0.44

$2.98 NT$96.6

-51.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KWD 0.38

$1.33 NT$43.05

-8.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.40

$1.88 NT$60.9

-29.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 KWD 0.52

$2.30 NT$74.6

-26.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$1.26 NT$40.69

-64.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.27 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 KWD 0.88

$3.99 NT$129

-28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 NT$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$38.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 NT$81.6

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 KWD 0.26

$0.53 NT$17.01

60.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.92 KWD 11.96

$69.1 NT$2,236

-43.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 KWD 1.03

$2.93 NT$94.7

13.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 KWD 0.97

$1.19 NT$38.43

166.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.40 KWD 5.04

$9.99 NT$323

64.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 KWD 0.11

$1.01 NT$32.81

-64.36%

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

$21.0K KWD 6,442

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-38.00%

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

$19.8K KWD 6,074

$26.1K NT$844.8K

-24.30%

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

$62.7 KWD 19.27

$44.09 NT$1,427

42.19%

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

$18.39 KWD 5.65

$24.40 NT$790

-24.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.42 KWD 7.81

$12.04 NT$390

111.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 KWD 33.14

$37.63 NT$1,218

186.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.51 KWD 6.61

$34.32 NT$1,111

-37.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 KWD 3.55

$8.53 NT$276

35.17%

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

$400 KWD 123

$362 NT$11.7K

10.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,575 KWD 2,021

$20.7K NT$670.8K

-68.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.00 KWD 12.91

$85.1 NT$2,754

-50.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.82 KWD 12.86

$34.63 NT$1,121

20.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 KWD 27.32

$50.4 NT$1,630

76.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.7 KWD 25.42

$33.26 NT$1,076

148.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 KWD 267

$611 NT$19.8K

41.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 KWD 201

$510 NT$16.5K

28.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 KWD 540

$1,127 NT$36.5K

55.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 KWD 422

$1,017 NT$32.9K

34.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,223 KWD 1,606

$3,386 NT$109.6K

54.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,377 KWD 731

$2,304 NT$74.6K

3.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,068 KWD 636

$2,392 NT$77.4K

-13.58%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Keelung: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Kuwait City and $611 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Kuwait City vs $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $180 vs $354, 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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,469 vs $1,273 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $868 in Kuwait City versus $611 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Kuwait City pay roughly 96% 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 $81.0 in Kuwait City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Keelung versus $1,469 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 15% less than in Kuwait City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.