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: $1,294 in Keelung versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,068 in Keelung versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,843 in Keelung versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Keelung is roughly 25% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 3% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 NT$158

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-15.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 NT$944

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-8.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.54 NT$175

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-23.06%

Cappuccino

$2.93 NT$92.6

$1.70 COP 6,186

72.35%

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

$1.15 NT$36.16

$1.10 COP 3,996

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 NT$24.74

$0.72 COP 2,625

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 NT$68.3

$1.67 COP 6,067

29.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 NT$89.8

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-8.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.34 NT$106

$1.06 COP 3,837

215.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 NT$47.55

$1.25 COP 4,531

20.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 NT$37.31

$1.39 COP 5,060

-15.11%

Eggs

$2.42 NT$76.5

$2.26 COP 8,229

7.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.90 NT$1,007

$4.33 COP 15.8K

636.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 NT$191

$5.84 COP 21.2K

3.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$8.83 COP 32.1K

81.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 NT$144

$2.24 COP 8,159

104.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NT$57.2

$1.08 COP 3,911

67.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 NT$72.2

$1.53 COP 5,563

49.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$96.8

$1.37 COP 4,987

124.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 NT$42.21

$1.13 COP 4,109

18.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 NT$58.8

$1.12 COP 4,067

66.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 NT$73.2

$0.85 COP 3,080

172.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 NT$39.44

$0.91 COP 3,305

37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 NT$125

$2.33 COP 8,477

69.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 NT$308

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-12.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.14

$1.19 COP 4,342

-0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 NT$82.9

$2.37 COP 8,617

10.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 NT$16.50

$0.79 COP 2,859

-34.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.7 NT$2,105

$41.13 COP 149.6K

62.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 NT$88.5

$1.44 COP 5,223

94.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NT$37.20

$1.91 COP 6,952

-38.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 NT$326

$8.02 COP 29.2K

28.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$31.90

$0.94 COP 3,410

7.45%

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

$33.8K NT$1.1M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

88.81%

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

$26.3K NT$829.4K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-1.94%

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

$43.89 NT$1,386

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-47.73%

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

$24.95 NT$788

$9.60 COP 34.9K

159.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.06 NT$381

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-50.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.38 NT$1,180

$25.88 COP 94.1K

44.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.82 NT$1,068

$19.04 COP 69.3K

77.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.45 NT$267

$3.92 COP 14.2K

115.56%

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

$357 NT$11.3K

$306 COP 1.1M

16.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K NT$666.2K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

256.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.0 NT$2,653

$57.9 COP 210.6K

45.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 NT$1,101

$31.82 COP 115.7K

9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 NT$1,625

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-48.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.41 NT$1,055

$107 COP 389.7K

-68.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 NT$19.5K

$487 COP 1.8M

26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 NT$16.0K

$368 COP 1.3M

37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,138 NT$35.9K

$826 COP 3.0M

37.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.5K

$716 COP 2.6M

39.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,451 NT$108.9K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

17.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,362 NT$74.6K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

67.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,442 NT$77.1K

$546 COP 2.0M

347.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.18

13.43

-83.77%

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

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $617 in Keelung and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 348% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Keelung vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $358 vs $190, 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Keelung pays 348% more on average, 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: $617 in Keelung versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Keelung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $30.00 in Keelung. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,294 in Keelung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Keelung. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.