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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,273 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,040 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,808 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 24% lower, Keelung 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.17 NT$163

15.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$30.43 NT$962

9.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.40 NT$171

33.89%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.94 NT$92.9

-44.56%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.10 NT$34.73

-0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.81 NT$25.46

-9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.10 NT$66.3

-17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.95 NT$93.3

9.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$3.40 NT$108

-69.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.49 NT$47.15

-13.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.14 NT$35.97

15.79%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.48 NT$78.5

-8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$31.37 NT$992

-86.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.19 NT$196

-5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$15.93 NT$503

-45.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$4.52 NT$143

-50.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.76 NT$55.6

-39.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.25 NT$71.3

-32.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$3.09 NT$97.7

-54.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.35 NT$42.58

-13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.94 NT$61.4

-39.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$2.29 NT$72.3

-61.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.26 NT$39.80

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.97 NT$126

-43.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$9.70 NT$307

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.22 NT$38.72

-6.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.65 NT$83.7

-10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.49 NT$15.48

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$68.0 NT$2,151

-38.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.81 NT$88.9

-49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.20 NT$37.89

58.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$10.10 NT$319

-23.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.01 NT$32.04

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$33.4K NT$1.1M

-47.43%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$26.1K NT$823.7K

1.68%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$44.01 NT$1,391

90.14%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$24.37 NT$771

-61.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$11.78 NT$372

104.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$37.04 NT$1,171

-31.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$33.67 NT$1,064

-43.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$8.69 NT$275

-52.82%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$364 NT$11.5K

-14.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$20.5K NT$649.6K

-70.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$83.6 NT$2,643

-30.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$34.44 NT$1,089

-5.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$50.2 NT$1,586

98.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$33.81 NT$1,069

221.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$610 NT$19.3K

-20.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$516 NT$16.3K

-26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,124 NT$35.5K

-25.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$1,020 NT$32.2K

-29.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$3,392 NT$107.2K

-16.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$2,361 NT$74.6K

-48.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$2,435 NT$77.0K

-77.79%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Keelung: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $610 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 350% 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 $357, 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 ($1,017 vs $1,273 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Keelung earns 350% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $610 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 $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,273 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.