Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kinmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Taipei and Kinmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,497 per month in Taipei vs $1,124 in Kinmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,333 per month in Taipei vs $1,876 in Kinmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,168 per month in Taipei vs $2,629 in Kinmen, rent included.

Taipei costs about 33% more than Kinmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Taipei sits 12% above the global median, while Kinmen is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.62 NT$214

$5.07 NT$164

30.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.86 NT$1,288

$30.83 NT$996

29.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 NT$181

$5.54 NT$179

0.90%

Cappuccino

$3.93 NT$127

$2.92 NT$94.4

34.59%

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

$1.16 NT$37.64

$1.04 NT$33.62

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 NT$24.22

$0.72 NT$23.27

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 NT$111

$1.84 NT$59.3

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 NT$112

$2.74 NT$88.6

25.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 NT$102

$3.31 NT$107

-4.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.95 NT$62.9

-3.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.0

$2.89 NT$93.5

4.84%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$92.0

$2.85 NT$92.1

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.35 NT$658

$18.49 NT$598

10.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 NT$327

$8.10 NT$262

24.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.00 NT$646

$17.18 NT$555

16.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 NT$163

$4.67 NT$151

7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.7

$2.53 NT$81.7

13.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NT$93.8

$2.64 NT$85.4

9.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 NT$135

$3.45 NT$111

21.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 NT$92.5

$2.77 NT$89.5

3.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$2.17 NT$70.2

3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$62.9

$2.06 NT$66.6

-5.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NT$42.46

$1.20 NT$38.62

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 NT$134

$4.05 NT$131

2.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.82 NT$447

$13.99 NT$452

-1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 NT$58.3

$1.67 NT$53.8

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 NT$76.5

$2.56 NT$82.7

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 NT$27.79

$0.87 NT$28.02

-1.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.26 NT$1,333

$39.33 NT$1,271

4.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$95.1

$2.96 NT$95.6

-0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.92

$0.80 NT$25.78

-7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 NT$333

$10.22 NT$330

0.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.47

$1.07 NT$34.61

-2.80%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$35.3K NT$1.1M

9.38%

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

$27.6K NT$892.5K

$26.5K NT$857.3K

4.11%

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

$86.2 NT$2,784

$86.1 NT$2,781

0.13%

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

$18.64 NT$602

$24.37 NT$787

-23.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.48 NT$791

$22.59 NT$730

8.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 NT$1,342

$36.68 NT$1,185

13.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.88 NT$448

$14.95 NT$483

-7.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 NT$378

$10.06 NT$325

16.40%

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

$643 NT$20.8K

$424 NT$13.7K

51.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$609.1K

$15.8K NT$509.2K

19.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,923

$81.6 NT$2,636

-27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 NT$1,079

$34.43 NT$1,113

-2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NT$3,002

$91.3 NT$2,948

1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 NT$3,920

$102 NT$3,302

18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 NT$25.7K

$424 NT$13.7K

87.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 NT$17.4K

$293 NT$9,474

83.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 NT$53.3K

$1,042 NT$33.7K

58.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NT$34.9K

$734 NT$23.7K

47.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K NT$414.7K

$6,302 NT$203.6K

103.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,600 NT$245.6K

$4,564 NT$147.5K

66.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,716 NT$55.4K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Kinmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $795 in Taipei versus $424 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 $40.00 in Taipei versus $31.00 in Kinmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $366 – making Kinmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 33%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,246 per month in Taipei and $1,685 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 $643 per month in Taipei and $424 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 $1,124, than in Taipei at $1,497. 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.