Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Keelung Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Keelung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,294 in Keelung.

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

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

Living in Medellin costs roughly 20% less than in Keelung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$5.01 NT$158

18.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$29.90 NT$944

9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$5.54 NT$175

29.96%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$2.93 NT$92.6

-41.98%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$1.15 NT$36.16

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.78 NT$24.74

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$2.16 NT$68.3

-22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$2.84 NT$89.8

9.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$3.34 NT$106

-68.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.51 NT$47.55

-17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.18 NT$37.31

17.80%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$2.42 NT$76.5

-6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$31.90 NT$1,007

-86.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$6.04 NT$191

-3.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$16.02 NT$506

-44.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$4.58 NT$144

-51.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$1.81 NT$57.2

-40.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$2.29 NT$72.2

-33.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$3.07 NT$96.8

-55.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$1.34 NT$42.21

-15.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$1.86 NT$58.8

-39.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$2.32 NT$73.2

-63.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$1.25 NT$39.44

-27.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$3.96 NT$125

-41.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$9.74 NT$308

14.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$1.18 NT$37.14

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$2.63 NT$82.9

-9.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.52 NT$16.50

51.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

$66.7 NT$2,105

-38.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$2.80 NT$88.5

-48.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$1.18 NT$37.20

61.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$10.33 NT$326

-22.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.01 NT$31.90

-6.93%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-47.04%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$26.3K NT$829.4K

1.98%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$43.89 NT$1,386

91.30%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$24.95 NT$788

-61.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$12.06 NT$381

100.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$37.38 NT$1,180

-30.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$33.82 NT$1,068

-43.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$8.45 NT$267

-53.61%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$357 NT$11.3K

-14.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$21.1K NT$666.2K

-71.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$84.0 NT$2,653

-31.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$34.88 NT$1,101

-8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$51.5 NT$1,625

94.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$33.41 NT$1,055

220.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$617 NT$19.5K

-21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$506 NT$16.0K

-27.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,138 NT$35.9K

-27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$998 NT$31.5K

-28.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$3,451 NT$108.9K

-15.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$2,362 NT$74.6K

-40.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$2,442 NT$77.1K

-77.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

2.18

516.06%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Keelung: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $617 in Keelung. 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $358, 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

Medellin vs Keelung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Keelung differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $1,294 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 348% less. 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: $487 in Medellin versus $617 in Keelung. 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, 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 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.