Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,178 per month in Douliu vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,970 per month in Douliu vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,762 per month in Douliu vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Douliu costs about 16% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Douliu and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Douliu 12% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 NT$128

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-32.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.60 NT$743

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-28.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 NT$183

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-18.19%

Cappuccino

$3.76 NT$118

$1.71 COP 6,115

119.88%

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

$1.18 NT$37.06

$1.10 COP 3,924

7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$22.87

$0.78 COP 2,781

-6.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 NT$108

$1.68 COP 5,997

103.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 NT$108

$3.07 COP 11.0K

11.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.2

$1.09 COP 3,906

188.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NT$62.3

$1.26 COP 4,508

57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$95.5

$1.38 COP 4,922

119.57%

Eggs

$2.95 NT$92.7

$2.19 COP 7,827

34.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.24 NT$637

$4.40 COP 15.7K

360.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 NT$313

$5.63 COP 20.1K

76.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 NT$642

$8.89 COP 31.8K

129.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 NT$165

$2.34 COP 8,349

124.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.5

$1.06 COP 3,777

167.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 NT$89.6

$1.50 COP 5,374

90.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 NT$131

$1.38 COP 4,924

201.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 NT$88.0

$1.15 COP 4,111

143.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$70.5

$1.16 COP 4,155

93.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NT$59.3

$0.89 COP 3,182

111.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 NT$43.17

$0.84 COP 2,997

63.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 NT$127

$2.28 COP 8,145

76.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.52 NT$457

$10.64 COP 38.0K

36.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 NT$57.3

$1.20 COP 4,284

51.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$75.4

$2.47 COP 8,824

-3.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$27.78

$0.86 COP 3,056

2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.46 NT$1,242

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-4.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 NT$89.5

$1.47 COP 5,264

93.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.63

$1.96 COP 7,009

-60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 NT$316

$7.74 COP 27.6K

29.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.70

$0.95 COP 3,409

12.63%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

107.66%

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

$27.2K NT$855.4K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

2.60%

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

$85.6 NT$2,695

$82.3 COP 293.7K

4.07%

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

$18.60 NT$585

$9.50 COP 33.9K

95.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.43 NT$800

$24.23 COP 86.5K

4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.14 NT$1,169

$25.89 COP 92.4K

43.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.22 NT$479

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-19.89%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 NT$379

$3.93 COP 14.0K

206.62%

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

$645 NT$20.3K

$309 COP 1.1M

108.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$590.5K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

214.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 NT$1,848

$58.7 COP 209.5K

0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 NT$1,032

$32.35 COP 115.5K

1.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 NT$2,919

$103 COP 366.4K

-9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,912

$108 COP 387.2K

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 NT$13.6K

$476 COP 1.7M

-9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 NT$9,054

$379 COP 1.4M

-24.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 NT$33.1K

$838 COP 3.0M

25.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 NT$22.4K

$724 COP 2.6M

-1.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,501 NT$236.1K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

168.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,325 NT$167.6K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

339.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,632 NT$82.9K

$512 COP 1.8M

414.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

13.43

-83.69%

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

Last update for Douliu: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $431 in Douliu versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 414% higher in Douliu, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Douliu versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $402 in Douliu vs $188 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Douliu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Douliu costs about 16% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,767 per month in Douliu and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Douliu and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,178 in Douliu and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Douliu at $1,178. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Douliu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,013 versus $1,178 in Douliu. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Douliu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.