Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Kinmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kinmen: $1,088 a month against $1,145 in Taichung, rent and utilities included – about $680 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Taichung outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kinmen
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Kinmen Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,145

/mo nomad

Kinmen

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,088

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taichung and in Kinmen

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

A single person spends $1,145 per month in Taichung vs $1,088 in Kinmen, rent included.

Taichung $1,145
Kinmen $1,088

A couple spends around $1,901 per month in Taichung vs $1,849 in Kinmen, rent included.

Taichung $1,901
Kinmen $1,849

A family of three spends $2,657 per month in Taichung vs $2,611 in Kinmen, rent included.

Taichung $2,657
Kinmen $2,611

Taichung costs about 5% more than Kinmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Taichung and Kinmen are more affordable than the global median – Taichung 15% lower, Kinmen 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.67 NT$151

$4.77 NT$155

-2.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.15 NT$1,010

$31.40 NT$1,018

-0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 NT$149

$4.75 NT$154

-3.16%

Cappuccino

$2.71 NT$87.8

$2.90 NT$94.0

-6.55%

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

$0.99 NT$31.98

$0.98 NT$31.62

1.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$23.04

$0.65 NT$21.01

9.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 NT$51.4

$1.55 NT$50.1

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 NT$93.6

$2.56 NT$82.9

12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 NT$102

$3.03 NT$98.2

3.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 NT$56.6

$1.87 NT$60.8

-6.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 NT$84.0

$2.96 NT$96.1

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.59 NT$83.9

$2.71 NT$87.9

-4.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 NT$913

$19.51 NT$633

44.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 NT$256

$7.82 NT$254

0.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 NT$548

$20.99 NT$681

-19.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$137

$4.27 NT$139

-1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 NT$63.4

$2.50 NT$81.0

-21.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$2.98 NT$96.7

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 NT$69.9

$3.25 NT$105

-33.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 NT$38.55

$2.84 NT$92.1

-58.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NT$61.4

$2.15 NT$69.7

-12.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NT$75.1

$2.00 NT$64.8

16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.66

$1.07 NT$34.85

-14.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 NT$122

$3.95 NT$128

-4.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.59 NT$506

$12.64 NT$410

23.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 NT$50.8

$1.63 NT$52.9

-3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$79.8

$2.29 NT$74.3

7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 NT$21.69

$0.61 NT$19.75

9.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.36 NT$1,017

$36.67 NT$1,189

-14.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 NT$86.7

$2.74 NT$88.8

-2.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 NT$31.57

$0.82 NT$26.72

18.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.65 NT$313

$9.51 NT$308

1.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$34.36

$1.02 NT$32.92

3.92%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$34.3K NT$1.1M

-1.05%

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

$22.7K NT$735.4K

$24.7K NT$801.0K

-8.19%

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

$122 NT$3,945

$88.5 NT$2,869

37.50%

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

$15.08 NT$489

$17.67 NT$573

-14.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 NT$681

$22.41 NT$727

-6.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.97 NT$1,037

$37.07 NT$1,202

-13.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.54 NT$374

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 NT$309

$9.78 NT$317

-2.56%

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

$333 NT$10.8K

$535 NT$17.3K

-37.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$537.7K

$16.6K NT$538.1K

-0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 NT$2,326

$64.5 NT$2,092

11.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 NT$1,156

$31.43 NT$1,019

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 NT$2,706

$85.0 NT$2,757

-1.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NT$3,768

$101 NT$3,284

14.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 NT$12.7K

$409 NT$13.3K

-4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$9,111

$255 NT$8,261

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 NT$39.5K

$973 NT$31.5K

25.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 NT$24.6K

$745 NT$24.2K

1.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,582 NT$278.3K

$7,994 NT$259.2K

7.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,309 NT$172.2K

$5,078 NT$164.7K

4.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,443 NT$46.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

2.38

-4.62%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$371 32.4%

Kinmen

$369 33.9% 0.8% $2.8

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$281 24.5%

Kinmen

$255 23.4% 9.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$158 13.8%

Kinmen

$129 11.8% 18.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$138 12.1%

Kinmen

$127 11.7% 8.1% $11

Eating Out

Taichung

$104 9.1%

Kinmen

$107 9.8% 2.3% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$51 4.5%

Kinmen

$57 5.2% 11% $5.6

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.6%

Kinmen

$46 4.2% 10.6% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $391 in Taichung versus $409 in Kinmen. 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 Taichung versus $31.00 in Kinmen. Groceries tell a different story – $371 in Taichung vs $369 in Kinmen – so Kinmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇹🇼 Kinmen

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

Same time as Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

12,568

💱 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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Between locations

Taichung Kinmen 250 km

From you

Taichung
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Taichung vs Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taichung is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,717 per month in Taichung and $1,632 in Kinmen. 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 $333 per month in Taichung and $535 in Kinmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Taichung, 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 Taichung at $1,145. In Kinmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taichung 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, Taichung makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.