Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Keelung

For one person, living is cheaper in Keelung: $978 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Keelung
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Keelung Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Keelung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Keelung

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 Keelung actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $978 in Keelung.

Medellin $1,614
Keelung $978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $1,717 in Keelung.

Medellin $2,402
Keelung $1,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $2,457 in Keelung.

Medellin $3,190
Keelung $2,457

Living in Medellin is roughly 65% more expensive than in Keelung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Keelung is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$4.65 NT$151

70.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$31.92 NT$1,035

44.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.85 NT$157

95.88%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.85 NT$92.4

9.12%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.03 NT$33.31

77.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.73 NT$23.60

89.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.54 NT$50.1

98.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.81 NT$91.1

95.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$3.24 NT$105

-55.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.39 NT$45.01

69.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.12 NT$36.44

50.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.22 NT$72.1

28.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$29.36 NT$952

-65.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$5.83 NT$189

63.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$17.08 NT$554

-17.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.35 NT$141

-6.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.89 NT$61.4

-20.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.02 NT$98.0

-28.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.16 NT$70.1

6.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.19 NT$38.69

62.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.90 NT$61.6

-13.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.42 NT$78.5

-53.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.91 NT$29.60

37.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.76 NT$122

6.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$9.24 NT$300

44.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.09 NT$35.21

55.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.56 NT$83.0

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.64 NT$20.87

89.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$63.7 NT$2,064

20.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.61 NT$84.7

-49.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.96 NT$31.16

122.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$9.61 NT$311

-11.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.03 NT$33.31

26.21%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$33.3K NT$1.1M

-15.97%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$23.0K NT$744.6K

54.23%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$41.52 NT$1,346

314.47%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$15.14 NT$491

-11.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$11.07 NT$359

159.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$34.14 NT$1,107

32.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$32.11 NT$1,041

-46.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$7.92 NT$257

-20.71%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$336 NT$10.9K

129.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$16.9K NT$546.4K

-46.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$73.0 NT$2,368

18.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$36.15 NT$1,172

58.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$47.16 NT$1,529

189.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$31.66 NT$1,027

209.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$401 NT$13.0K

163.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$254 NT$8,247

142.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$978 NT$31.7K

93.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$731 NT$23.7K

39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$3,385 NT$109.8K

19.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,352 NT$76.3K

-28.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,436 NT$79.0K

-73.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.27

381.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Keelung: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Keelung

$254 26% 58.7% $361

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Keelung

$341 34.9% 15.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Keelung

$68 6.9% 68.4% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Keelung

$85 8.7% 50.3% $85

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Keelung

$106 10.9% 36.9% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Keelung

$74 7.5% 21.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Keelung

$50 5.1% 13.5% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $401 in Keelung. 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $341, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇼 Keelung

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

06:09 6:09 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

372,100

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Keelung 16,050 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Keelung

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 Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Keelung differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,614 vs $978 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 273% lower in Keelung. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $401 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 16% 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 $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $978 in Keelung versus $1,614 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, Medellin and Keelung 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 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.