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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $959 in Keelung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,702 in Keelung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $2,444 in Keelung.

Living in Medellin is roughly 76% more expensive than in Keelung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Keelung is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$4.73 NT$151

66.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$30.44 NT$969

46.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$4.75 NT$151

95.58%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.84 NT$90.4

2.11%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.99 NT$31.39

82.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.77 NT$24.62

101.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$1.59 NT$50.5

104.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$2.87 NT$91.4

104.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$3.02 NT$96.0

-54.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.42 NT$45.08

72.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.15 NT$36.55

31.30%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.27 NT$72.2

22.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$28.98 NT$923

-68.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$5.45 NT$173

95.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$16.50 NT$525

-11.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$4.34 NT$138

-8.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.86 NT$59.2

-25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.77 NT$56.3

29.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$2.19 NT$69.7

-7.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.23 NT$39.17

69.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.96 NT$62.3

-16.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$2.36 NT$75.2

-54.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.84 NT$26.75

48.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.89 NT$124

3.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$9.50 NT$303

41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.11 NT$35.23

44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.53 NT$80.4

18.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.63 NT$20.21

87.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

$61.6 NT$1,962

29.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$2.69 NT$85.8

-40.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.95 NT$30.33

124.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$9.19 NT$293

-7.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$0.98 NT$31.34

37.76%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$33.7K NT$1.1M

-15.99%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$22.9K NT$730.6K

55.53%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$40.23 NT$1,281

276.29%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$14.47 NT$461

-9.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$10.86 NT$346

197.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$34.66 NT$1,104

33.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$30.72 NT$978

-43.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$7.81 NT$249

-17.67%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$342 NT$10.9K

143.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$17.2K NT$546.6K

-48.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$66.7 NT$2,123

33.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$35.36 NT$1,126

56.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$46.42 NT$1,478

194.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$31.40 NT$1,000

248.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$393 NT$12.5K

142.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$250 NT$7,955

167.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$958 NT$30.5K

110.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$750 NT$23.9K

53.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$3,383 NT$107.7K

9.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$2,347 NT$74.7K

-32.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$2,418 NT$77.0K

-74.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

2.27

359.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Keelung: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $393 in Keelung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keelung pays 287% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Keelung. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $329, 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 76% in total monthly costs ($1,687 vs $959 including rent). Keelung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 287% 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: $952 in Medellin versus $393 in Keelung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 11% 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 $30.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $959 in Keelung versus $1,687 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 76% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.