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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Medellin is about 14% cheaper than Douliu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.06 NT$128

47.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$23.60 NT$743

39.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.80 NT$183

22.24%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$3.76 NT$118

-54.52%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.18 NT$37.06

-6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.73 NT$22.87

6.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$3.42 NT$108

-50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.42 NT$108

-10.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$3.15 NT$99.2

-65.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.98 NT$62.3

-36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$3.03 NT$95.5

-54.46%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$2.95 NT$92.7

-25.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$20.24 NT$637

-78.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$9.96 NT$313

-43.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$20.40 NT$642

-56.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$5.25 NT$165

-55.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$2.84 NT$89.5

-62.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.85 NT$89.6

-47.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$4.16 NT$131

-66.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$2.80 NT$88.0

-58.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$2.24 NT$70.5

-48.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.88 NT$59.3

-52.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$1.37 NT$43.17

-38.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$4.03 NT$127

-43.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$14.52 NT$457

-26.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.82 NT$57.3

-34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.39 NT$75.4

3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.88 NT$27.78

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$39.46 NT$1,242

4.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.84 NT$89.5

-48.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.78 NT$24.63

151.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$10.03 NT$316

-22.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.07 NT$33.70

-11.21%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$37.7K NT$1.2M

-51.84%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$27.2K NT$855.4K

-2.54%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$85.6 NT$2,695

-3.91%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$18.60 NT$585

-48.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$25.43 NT$800

-4.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$37.14 NT$1,169

-30.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$15.22 NT$479

24.84%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$12.05 NT$379

-67.39%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$645 NT$20.3K

-51.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$18.8K NT$590.5K

-68.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$58.7 NT$1,848

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$32.78 NT$1,032

-1.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$92.7 NT$2,919

10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$124 NT$3,912

-12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$431 NT$13.6K

10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$288 NT$9,054

31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,052 NT$33.1K

-20.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$713 NT$22.4K

1.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$7,501 NT$236.1K

-62.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$5,325 NT$167.6K

-77.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$2,632 NT$82.9K

-80.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

2.19

513.24%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Douliu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $431 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 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Douliu. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $402 in Douliu – 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

Medellin vs Douliu: 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,767 in Douliu. 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $24.00 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 $1,013 in Medellin and $1,178 in Douliu. 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.