Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Keelung and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $988 in Keelung versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,697 in Keelung versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,406 in Keelung versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Keelung costs roughly 40% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keelung is 28% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.73 NT$150

$8.04 COP 24.8K

-41.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.55 NT$998

$48.29 COP 148.6K

-34.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 NT$153

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-48.83%

Cappuccino

$2.86 NT$90.6

$2.94 COP 9,040

-2.72%

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

$1.05 NT$33.13

$1.86 COP 5,735

-43.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 NT$23.16

$1.46 COP 4,479

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.47

$3.21 COP 9,882

-51.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NT$92.3

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-48.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$102

$1.44 COP 4,428

122.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 NT$44.42

$2.40 COP 7,389

-41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 NT$36.11

$1.70 COP 5,228

-32.94%

Eggs

$2.22 NT$70.1

$2.89 COP 8,896

-23.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.65 NT$938

$10.06 COP 30.9K

194.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.74 NT$181

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-42.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 NT$531

$14.20 COP 43.7K

18.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$134

$3.98 COP 12.3K

6.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 NT$63.5

$1.58 COP 4,878

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 NT$57.2

$2.15 COP 6,624

-15.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 NT$70.1

$2.30 COP 7,078

-3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$37.88

$2.00 COP 6,169

-40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 NT$62.8

$1.51 COP 4,646

31.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 NT$76.3

$1.20 COP 3,701

100.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.49

$1.28 COP 3,946

-29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$125

$3.84 COP 11.8K

2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.55 NT$302

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-31.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NT$35.57

$1.71 COP 5,256

-34.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 NT$78.5

$2.74 COP 8,440

-9.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.40

$1.25 COP 3,834

-51.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.6 NT$2,011

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-18.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 NT$84.9

$1.31 COP 4,016

105.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 NT$31.02

$2.17 COP 6,680

-54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.56 NT$302

$8.29 COP 25.5K

15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$31.64

$1.36 COP 4,172

-26.47%

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

$33.5K NT$1.1M

$27.5K COP 84.5M

21.88%

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

$23.6K NT$746.9K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-35.36%

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

$41.34 NT$1,308

$169 COP 519.2K

-75.50%

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

$14.91 NT$471

$13.57 COP 41.8K

9.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.01 NT$348

$28.32 COP 87.2K

-61.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.07 NT$1,109

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-23.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.26 NT$989

$17.22 COP 53.0K

81.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 NT$253

$6.65 COP 20.5K

20.45%

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

$346 NT$10.9K

$803 COP 2.5M

-56.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K NT$543.5K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

86.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 NT$2,152

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-22.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.74 NT$1,162

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-38.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.31 NT$1,496

$139 COP 427.5K

-65.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.22 NT$987

$102 COP 314.0K

-69.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 NT$13.1K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-61.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 NT$8,128

$653 COP 2.0M

-60.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.6K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-48.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 NT$23.8K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-28.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,462 NT$109.5K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-16.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,395 NT$75.8K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

41.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,443 NT$77.3K

$655 COP 2.0M

272.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

10.94

-79.25%

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

Last update for Keelung: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Keelung and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 273% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Keelung vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $337 vs $300, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Keelung vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Keelung and Medellin differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($988 vs $1,641 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 273% higher in Keelung, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $416 in Keelung versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Keelung – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $988 in Keelung versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Keelung but tight or insufficient in Medellin. 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, Keelung and Medellin 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 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.