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: $1,269 in Keelung versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,047 in Keelung versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,824 in Keelung versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Keelung is roughly 27% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Keelung 5% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 NT$167

$5.91 COP 18.9K

-12.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.17 NT$976

$32.96 COP 105.2K

-8.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 NT$173

$7.43 COP 23.7K

-28.26%

Cappuccino

$2.97 NT$96.0

$1.65 COP 5,276

80.00%

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

$1.11 NT$36.05

$1.10 COP 3,514

0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$25.69

$0.78 COP 2,491

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 NT$70.5

$1.72 COP 5,484

26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 NT$95.2

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-7.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.45 NT$112

$1.10 COP 3,521

213.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 NT$50.5

$1.26 COP 4,015

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 NT$38.63

$1.38 COP 4,407

-13.77%

Eggs

$2.38 NT$77.1

$2.18 COP 6,950

9.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$31.14 NT$1,007

$4.49 COP 14.3K

593.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 NT$192

$5.79 COP 18.5K

2.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.58 NT$504

$8.97 COP 28.6K

73.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 NT$149

$2.32 COP 7,405

97.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 NT$58.5

$1.06 COP 3,397

70.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 NT$71.7

$1.52 COP 4,838

46.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 NT$99.2

$1.36 COP 4,327

125.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 NT$43.17

$1.13 COP 3,599

17.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 NT$61.6

$1.17 COP 3,738

63.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NT$73.6

$0.90 COP 2,876

153.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NT$41.50

$0.90 COP 2,861

42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 NT$128

$2.23 COP 7,128

77.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 NT$293

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 NT$39.20

$1.19 COP 3,793

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 NT$86.2

$2.48 COP 7,920

7.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 NT$17.08

$0.85 COP 2,723

-37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 NT$2,154

$41.62 COP 132.8K

59.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 NT$91.0

$1.42 COP 4,518

97.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 NT$38.45

$1.95 COP 6,223

-38.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.30 NT$333

$7.89 COP 25.2K

30.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 NT$32.43

$0.99 COP 3,160

1.01%

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

$33.6K NT$1.1M

$17.6K COP 56.2M

90.94%

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

$25.4K NT$821.9K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-5.19%

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

$43.58 NT$1,410

$83.0 COP 264.9K

-47.50%

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

$24.59 NT$795

$9.70 COP 30.9K

153.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.73 NT$379

$23.52 COP 75.0K

-50.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 NT$1,224

$25.26 COP 80.6K

49.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.48 NT$1,115

$19.10 COP 60.9K

80.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.33 NT$269

$3.95 COP 12.6K

110.89%

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

$354 NT$11.5K

$316 COP 1.0M

12.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K NT$659.6K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

241.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 NT$2,775

$60.0 COP 191.4K

42.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 NT$1,132

$31.82 COP 101.5K

9.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 NT$1,664

$102 COP 324.4K

-49.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.24 NT$1,075

$107 COP 342.8K

-69.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 NT$19.6K

$475 COP 1.5M

27.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 NT$16.3K

$374 COP 1.2M

34.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 NT$36.2K

$849 COP 2.7M

31.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 NT$33.4K

$719 COP 2.3M

43.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,290 NT$106.4K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

0.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,312 NT$74.8K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

60.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,450 NT$79.2K

$624 COP 2.0M

292.30%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Keelung and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 292% 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 $354 vs $193, 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,269 vs $1,003 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 292% 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: $607 in Keelung versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% 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 $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,269 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 27% less than in Keelung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.