Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kinmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kinmen: $1,088 a month against $1,368 in Taipei, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Taipei
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Taipei Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Kinmen
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Kinmen Living Index

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Taipei

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,368

/mo nomad

Kinmen

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,088

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Taipei vs $1,088 in Kinmen, rent included.

Taipei $1,368
Kinmen $1,088

A couple spends around $2,202 per month in Taipei vs $1,849 in Kinmen, rent included.

Taipei $2,202
Kinmen $1,849

A family of three spends $3,036 per month in Taipei vs $2,611 in Kinmen, rent included.

Taipei $3,036
Kinmen $2,611

Taipei costs about 26% more than Kinmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Taipei sits 1% above the global median, while Kinmen is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.60 NT$149

$4.77 NT$155

-3.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.13 NT$1,528

$31.40 NT$1,018

50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.58 NT$181

$4.75 NT$154

17.47%

Cappuccino

$3.45 NT$112

$2.90 NT$94.0

18.97%

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

$0.94 NT$30.61

$0.98 NT$31.62

-4.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.73

$0.65 NT$21.01

3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 NT$92.7

$1.55 NT$50.1

84.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 NT$120

$2.56 NT$82.9

44.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.12 NT$101

$3.03 NT$98.2

2.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NT$64.0

$1.87 NT$60.8

5.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NT$103

$2.96 NT$96.1

6.76%

Eggs

$2.68 NT$86.9

$2.71 NT$87.9

-1.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.90 NT$645

$19.51 NT$633

2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 NT$319

$7.82 NT$254

25.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.51 NT$698

$20.99 NT$681

2.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 NT$157

$4.27 NT$139

13.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 NT$105

$2.50 NT$81.0

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.2

$2.98 NT$96.7

1.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 NT$147

$3.25 NT$105

39.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 NT$90.4

$2.84 NT$92.1

-1.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 NT$75.9

$2.15 NT$69.7

8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$54.5

$2.00 NT$64.8

-16.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NT$35.62

$1.07 NT$34.85

2.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 NT$123

$3.95 NT$128

-3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 NT$460

$12.64 NT$410

12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 NT$53.0

$1.63 NT$52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NT$74.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 NT$21.04

$0.61 NT$19.75

6.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.88 NT$1,228

$36.67 NT$1,189

3.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 NT$86.8

$2.74 NT$88.8

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 NT$26.55

$0.82 NT$26.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.17 NT$297

$9.51 NT$308

-3.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.93

$1.02 NT$32.92

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

$32.8K NT$1.1M

$34.3K NT$1.1M

-4.32%

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

$24.5K NT$795.1K

$24.7K NT$801.0K

-0.74%

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

$87.7 NT$2,843

$88.5 NT$2,869

-0.89%

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

$17.28 NT$560

$17.67 NT$573

-2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.38 NT$888

$22.41 NT$727

22.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.32 NT$1,308

$37.07 NT$1,202

8.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.94 NT$517

Cinema Ticket

$9.83 NT$319

$9.78 NT$317

0.51%

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

$663 NT$21.5K

$535 NT$17.3K

23.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K NT$538.4K

$16.6K NT$538.1K

0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 NT$2,025

$64.5 NT$2,092

-3.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.51 NT$1,281

$31.43 NT$1,019

25.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 NT$2,740

$85.0 NT$2,757

-0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,424

$101 NT$3,284

4.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$999 NT$32.4K

$409 NT$13.3K

143.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 NT$15.3K

$255 NT$8,261

85.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 NT$50.8K

$973 NT$31.5K

60.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$948 NT$30.7K

$745 NT$24.2K

27.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K NT$385.6K

$7,994 NT$259.2K

48.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,306 NT$236.9K

$5,078 NT$164.7K

43.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 NT$57.1K

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 Taipei: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taipei

$473 34.6%

Kinmen

$255 23.4% 46.2% $219

Groceries & Markets

Taipei

$400 29.3%

Kinmen

$369 33.9% 7.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taipei

$132 9.7%

Kinmen

$129 11.8% 2.9% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Taipei

$131 9.6%

Kinmen

$127 11.7% 3.4% $4.4

Eating Out

Taipei

$123 9%

Kinmen

$107 9.8% 13.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Taipei

$60 4.4%

Kinmen

$57 5.2% 5.6% $3.4

Getting Around

Taipei

$47 3.5%

Kinmen

$46 4.2% 2.7% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $999 in Taipei 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 $47.00 in Taipei versus $31.00 in Kinmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $369 – making Kinmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taipei

🇹🇼 Kinmen

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

Same time as Taipei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,635,286 Capital

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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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

Taipei vs Kinmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taipei is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,052 per month in Taipei 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 $663 per month in Taipei 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 9% more in Taipei, 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 Taipei at $1,368. In Kinmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taipei 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, Taipei makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.