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: $1,384 in Taipei versus $967 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,233 in Taipei versus $1,708 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Taipei versus $2,450 in Keelung.

Living in Taipei is roughly 43% more expensive than in Keelung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taipei is 1% above, Keelung is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.61 NT$147

$4.88 NT$155

-5.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 NT$1,490

$31.81 NT$1,012

47.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$176

$4.79 NT$152

15.66%

Cappuccino

$3.46 NT$110

$2.84 NT$90.5

21.83%

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

$0.92 NT$29.42

$1.00 NT$31.72

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 NT$19.81

$0.73 NT$23.23

-15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 NT$88.5

$1.55 NT$49.45

79.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 NT$121

$2.84 NT$90.5

34.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.11 NT$98.9

$3.12 NT$99.3

-0.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$62.6

$1.39 NT$44.26

41.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 NT$101

$1.18 NT$37.65

168.64%

Eggs

$2.81 NT$89.5

$2.25 NT$71.6

24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.49 NT$620

$29.54 NT$940

-34.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 NT$318

$5.64 NT$179

77.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 NT$697

$17.02 NT$541

28.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 NT$153

$4.40 NT$140

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 NT$103

$1.97 NT$62.5

64.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.0

$1.77 NT$56.2

68.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 NT$138

$2.21 NT$70.2

96.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 NT$85.9

$1.20 NT$38.09

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.6

$1.90 NT$60.5

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NT$54.2

$2.46 NT$78.1

-30.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 NT$37.19

$0.90 NT$28.69

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 NT$128

$3.81 NT$121

5.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 NT$454

$9.74 NT$310

46.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 NT$52.7

$1.09 NT$34.54

52.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 NT$70.7

$2.47 NT$78.6

-10.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.37

$0.61 NT$19.44

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.17 NT$1,214

$63.0 NT$2,003

-39.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$87.0

$2.75 NT$87.3

-0.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 NT$25.59

$0.99 NT$31.42

-19.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.18 NT$292

$9.35 NT$297

-1.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.56

$1.04 NT$33.09

1.92%

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

$34.0K NT$1.1M

$34.3K NT$1.1M

-0.92%

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

$24.4K NT$777.0K

$23.4K NT$743.1K

4.57%

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

$83.2 NT$2,646

$41.86 NT$1,331

98.76%

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

$17.73 NT$564

$15.24 NT$485

16.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.05 NT$892

$11.29 NT$359

148.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.43 NT$1,318

$35.55 NT$1,131

16.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.34 NT$520

$31.90 NT$1,015

-48.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.51 NT$302

$7.76 NT$247

22.55%

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

$615 NT$19.5K

$348 NT$11.1K

76.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NT$543.7K

$16.9K NT$539.0K

0.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 NT$1,993

$69.6 NT$2,212

-9.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 NT$1,283

$36.18 NT$1,151

11.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 NT$2,694

$48.34 NT$1,538

75.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 NT$3,335

$31.31 NT$996

234.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 NT$28.6K

$405 NT$12.9K

121.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 NT$15.6K

$251 NT$7,995

94.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 NT$49.3K

$1,009 NT$32.1K

53.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 NT$30.9K

$732 NT$23.3K

32.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K NT$389.3K

$3,420 NT$108.8K

257.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,708 NT$245.2K

$2,351 NT$74.8K

227.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,714 NT$54.5K

$2,491 NT$79.2K

-31.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

2.27

5.73%

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

Last update for Taipei: September 13, 2026

Last update for Keelung: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $898 in Taipei and $405 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Taipei vs $32.00 in Keelung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $337 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,384 vs $967 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 45% 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: $898 in Taipei versus $405 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% 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 $32.00 versus $47.00 in Taipei. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $967 in Keelung versus $1,384 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 43% less than in Taipei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.