Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tainan and Kinmen

For one person, living costs are similar in Tainan and in Kinmen: $1,068 and $1,088 a month, rent and utilities included.

52

Cost of Living Index in Tainan
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Tainan Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kinmen
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Kinmen Living Index

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Tainan

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,068

/mo nomad

Kinmen

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,088

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tainan 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 Tainan and in Kinmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,068 per month in Tainan vs $1,088 in Kinmen, rent included.

Tainan $1,068
Kinmen $1,088

A couple spends around $1,837 per month in Tainan vs $1,849 in Kinmen, rent included.

Tainan $1,837
Kinmen $1,849

A family of three spends $2,606 per month in Tainan vs $2,611 in Kinmen, rent included.

Tainan $2,606
Kinmen $2,611

Tainan is about 2% cheaper than Kinmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Tainan and Kinmen are more affordable than the global median – Tainan 21% lower, Kinmen 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 NT$121

$4.77 NT$155

-21.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.62 NT$799

$31.40 NT$1,018

-21.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.79 NT$155

$4.75 NT$154

0.84%

Cappuccino

$3.27 NT$106

$2.90 NT$94.0

12.76%

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

$0.95 NT$30.66

$0.98 NT$31.62

-3.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 NT$20.54

$0.65 NT$21.01

-3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.6

$1.55 NT$50.1

84.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 NT$113

$2.56 NT$82.9

36.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.09 NT$100

$3.03 NT$98.2

1.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 NT$57.5

$1.87 NT$60.8

-5.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NT$102

$2.96 NT$96.1

6.42%

Eggs

$2.75 NT$89.3

$2.71 NT$87.9

1.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.50 NT$632

$19.51 NT$633

-0.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 NT$320

$7.82 NT$254

26.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.04 NT$682

$20.99 NT$681

0.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 NT$161

$4.27 NT$139

16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$2.50 NT$81.0

14.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NT$97.4

$2.98 NT$96.7

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 NT$145

$3.25 NT$105

37.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.4

$2.84 NT$92.1

-6.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 NT$73.6

$2.15 NT$69.7

5.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 NT$55.3

$2.00 NT$64.8

-14.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NT$37.31

$1.07 NT$34.85

7.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 NT$124

$3.95 NT$128

-3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 NT$452

$12.64 NT$410

10.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$1.63 NT$52.9

1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.3

$2.29 NT$74.3

-5.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.68

$0.61 NT$19.75

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 NT$1,099

$36.67 NT$1,189

-7.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 NT$82.2

$2.74 NT$88.8

-7.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 NT$24.92

$0.82 NT$26.72

-6.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 NT$186

$9.51 NT$308

-39.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.90

$1.02 NT$32.92

-0.98%

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$34.3K NT$1.1M

-4.36%

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

$24.1K NT$780.6K

$24.7K NT$801.0K

-2.56%

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

$87.2 NT$2,828

$88.5 NT$2,869

-1.42%

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

$17.51 NT$568

$17.67 NT$573

-0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.30 NT$691

$22.41 NT$727

-4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.65 NT$1,480

$37.07 NT$1,202

23.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 NT$311

$9.78 NT$317

-1.84%

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

$433 NT$14.1K

$535 NT$17.3K

-18.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,413 NT$175.5K

$16.6K NT$538.1K

-67.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 NT$2,050

$64.5 NT$2,092

-2.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 NT$1,271

$31.43 NT$1,019

24.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 NT$2,716

$85.0 NT$2,757

-1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,353

$101 NT$3,284

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$297 NT$9,624

$409 NT$13.3K

-27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NT$6,470

$255 NT$8,261

-21.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 NT$27.4K

$973 NT$31.5K

-13.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 NT$22.6K

$745 NT$24.2K

-6.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 NT$133.7K

$7,994 NT$259.2K

-48.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,022 NT$98.0K

$5,078 NT$164.7K

-40.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,376 NT$44.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.38

0.84%

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

Last update for Tainan: 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

Tainan

$393 36.9%

Kinmen

$369 33.9% 6.3% $25

Accommodation & Living

Tainan

$200 18.7%

Kinmen

$255 23.4% 27.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Tainan

$130 12.2%

Kinmen

$127 11.7% 2.5% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tainan

$126 11.8%

Kinmen

$129 11.8% 2% $2.5

Eating Out

Tainan

$111 10.4%

Kinmen

$107 9.8% 4.1% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Tainan

$65 6.1%

Kinmen

$57 5.2% 12.7% $8.2

Getting Around

Tainan

$43 4%

Kinmen

$46 4.2% 7.7% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $297 in Tainan 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 $25.00 in Tainan versus $31.00 in Kinmen. Groceries tell a different story – $393 in Tainan vs $369 in Kinmen – so Kinmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Tainan

🇹🇼 Kinmen

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

Same time as Tainan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,886,033

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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Tainan Kinmen 250 km

From you

Tainan
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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

Tainan vs Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kinmen is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,602 per month in Tainan 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 Tainan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $433 per month in Tainan and $535 in Kinmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Kinmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tainan, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Kinmen at $1,088. In Tainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kinmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tainan – 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 Tainan. 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.