Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Douliu

For one person, living is cheaper in Douliu: $1,138 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Douliu
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Douliu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Douliu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Douliu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Douliu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,138 in Douliu, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Douliu $1,138

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,894 in Douliu, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Douliu $1,894

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,650 in Douliu, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Douliu $2,650

Medellin costs about 42% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Douliu is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$3.85 NT$125

105.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$22.40 NT$726

105.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.81 NT$189

63.51%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.40 NT$110

-8.53%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.94 NT$30.58

94.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.67 NT$21.86

105.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.79 NT$90.4

9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.73 NT$121

47.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$3.09 NT$100

-53.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.01 NT$65.1

17.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.17 NT$103

-47.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.76 NT$89.4

3.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$19.44 NT$631

-47.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$9.97 NT$323

-4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$21.44 NT$695

-34.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.79 NT$155

-15.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.29 NT$107

-54.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.08 NT$99.9

-29.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$4.34 NT$141

-46.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.82 NT$91.3

-31.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.34 NT$75.9

-29.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.71 NT$55.6

-33.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.10 NT$35.65

13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.85 NT$125

3.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$14.46 NT$469

-7.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.63 NT$52.9

4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.31 NT$75.0

2.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.61 NT$19.89

98.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$35.53 NT$1,152

115.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.66 NT$86.3

-50.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.77 NT$24.82

177.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$9.46 NT$307

-10.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.03 NT$33.56

26.21%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-17.66%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$24.0K NT$777.6K

47.68%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$86.6 NT$2,807

98.83%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$17.15 NT$556

-22.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$27.79 NT$901

3.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$36.37 NT$1,179

24.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$9.54 NT$309

-34.17%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$663 NT$21.5K

16.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$17.0K NT$550.7K

-46.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$64.5 NT$2,091

34.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$40.75 NT$1,321

40.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$85.0 NT$2,756

60.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$105 NT$3,408

-6.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$404 NT$13.1K

161.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$257 NT$8,334

139.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$982 NT$31.8K

92.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$730 NT$23.7K

40.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$7,836 NT$254.1K

-48.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$4,924 NT$159.7K

-65.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,544 NT$82.5K

-74.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.4

355.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Douliu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Douliu

$257 22.6% 58.3% $359

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Douliu

$400 35.1% 35.7% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Douliu

$132 11.6% 38.6% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Douliu

$133 11.7% 21.9% $37

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Douliu

$117 10.3% 30.6% $52

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Douliu

$44 3.9% 52.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Douliu

$55 4.9% 4.1% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $404 in Douliu. 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 290% higher in Douliu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $22.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $400 in Douliu – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇼 Douliu

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

09:03 9:03 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

108,401

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Douliu 16,250 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Douliu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Medellin vs Douliu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 42% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,707 in Douliu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douliu, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $22.00 in Douliu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,138 in Douliu. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Douliu costs $1,138 versus $1,614 in Medellin. 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 Douliu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.