Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Keelung Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Keelung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Taipei versus $1,272 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,394 in Taipei versus $2,083 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,295 in Taipei versus $2,893 in Keelung.

Living in Taipei is roughly 17% more expensive than Keelung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 11% above, Keelung is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.64 NT$209

$4.96 NT$156

33.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.45 NT$1,273

$30.19 NT$950

33.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 NT$182

$5.56 NT$175

4.14%

Cappuccino

$3.75 NT$118

$2.99 NT$94.3

25.42%

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

$1.13 NT$35.42

$1.12 NT$35.18

0.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.75

$0.85 NT$26.72

-15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 NT$104

$2.19 NT$69.0

51.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NT$104

$2.86 NT$89.9

15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$98.2

$3.45 NT$108

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.48 NT$46.46

33.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.5

$1.20 NT$37.84

155.83%

Eggs

$2.91 NT$91.7

$2.42 NT$76.2

20.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.73 NT$621

$31.12 NT$979

-36.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 NT$311

$6.00 NT$189

65.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 NT$641

$16.00 NT$504

27.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 NT$162

$4.72 NT$149

9.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 NT$91.8

$1.80 NT$56.8

62.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 NT$90.8

$2.21 NT$69.5

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 NT$134

$3.07 NT$96.5

38.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.0

$1.35 NT$42.38

106.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 NT$69.1

$1.91 NT$60.1

14.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.1

$2.29 NT$72.1

-13.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NT$43.72

$1.25 NT$39.47

11.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 NT$126

$4.01 NT$126

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 NT$456

$9.70 NT$305

49.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.1

$1.21 NT$38.08

44.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NT$76.2

$2.55 NT$80.2

-5.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 NT$28.05

$0.49 NT$15.40

81.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.16 NT$1,296

$67.1 NT$2,113

-38.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$91.6

$2.91 NT$91.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$24.94

$1.18 NT$37.13

-33.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 NT$316

$10.15 NT$319

-0.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.63

$1.05 NT$32.90

1.90%

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

$38.1K NT$1.2M

$33.2K NT$1.0M

14.82%

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

$27.9K NT$877.6K

$26.1K NT$820.6K

6.95%

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

$84.9 NT$2,672

$43.91 NT$1,382

93.35%

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

$18.69 NT$588

$24.18 NT$761

-22.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.75 NT$779

$11.88 NT$374

108.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 NT$1,323

$36.59 NT$1,152

14.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 NT$443

$34.23 NT$1,077

-58.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 NT$373

$8.30 NT$261

42.65%

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

$626 NT$19.7K

$358 NT$11.3K

74.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K NT$586.5K

$20.8K NT$653.5K

-10.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 NT$1,855

$85.7 NT$2,698

-31.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,071

$34.71 NT$1,093

-2.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 NT$2,995

$50.2 NT$1,581

89.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,891

$33.65 NT$1,059

267.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$789 NT$24.8K

$602 NT$18.9K

31.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 NT$17.0K

$511 NT$16.1K

5.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 NT$52.5K

$1,099 NT$34.6K

51.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 NT$35.0K

$1,033 NT$32.5K

7.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K NT$430.6K

$3,381 NT$106.4K

304.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,450 NT$266.0K

$2,334 NT$73.5K

262.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,713 NT$53.9K

$2,440 NT$76.8K

-29.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

2.18

0.46%

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

Last update for Taipei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Keelung: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $789 in Taipei and $602 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Taipei vs $30.00 in Keelung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $356 per month, with Keelung cheaper across the board.

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

Taipei vs Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taipei and Keelung differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,494 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 42% 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: $789 in Taipei versus $602 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Taipei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Keelung – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $40.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,272 in Keelung versus $1,494 in Taipei, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Taipei. 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, Taipei 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 17% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.