Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiayi and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,160 in Chiayi versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,967 in Chiayi versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,774 in Chiayi versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Chiayi is roughly 14% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiayi 14% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.67 NT$211

$5.95 COP 20.8K

12.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.85 NT$1,291

$33.33 COP 116.3K

22.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 NT$177

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-22.41%

Cappuccino

$2.17 NT$68.7

$1.63 COP 5,687

33.13%

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

$1.12 NT$35.40

$1.09 COP 3,821

2.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.90

$0.73 COP 2,548

8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 NT$60.4

$1.74 COP 6,065

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NT$97.4

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 NT$97.9

$1.05 COP 3,662

195.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NT$61.9

$1.29 COP 4,515

51.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 NT$96.7

$1.32 COP 4,617

131.82%

Eggs

$2.93 NT$92.7

$2.27 COP 7,927

29.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.43 NT$646

$4.35 COP 15.2K

369.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.21 NT$323

$5.88 COP 20.5K

73.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.12 NT$636

$8.61 COP 30.0K

133.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 NT$164

$2.25 COP 7,844

130.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 NT$94.3

$1.07 COP 3,733

178.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 NT$88.3

$1.52 COP 5,322

83.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 NT$130

$1.42 COP 4,964

188.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 NT$89.0

$1.17 COP 4,084

141.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 NT$72.1

$1.17 COP 4,077

94.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 NT$60.0

$0.89 COP 3,096

113.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 NT$41.67

$0.90 COP 3,146

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 NT$129

$2.25 COP 7,837

81.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 NT$147

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-57.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 NT$58.0

$1.14 COP 3,977

60.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$76.7

$2.38 COP 8,301

2.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 NT$26.14

$0.84 COP 2,916

-1.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.35 NT$1,244

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-6.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NT$88.3

$1.41 COP 4,912

97.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 NT$13.10

$1.90 COP 6,634

-78.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 NT$320

$7.75 COP 27.0K

30.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.65

$1.01 COP 3,509

1.98%

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

$38.7K NT$1.2M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

119.97%

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

$27.1K NT$856.1K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

2.21%

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

$73.3 NT$2,318

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-12.39%

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

$18.55 NT$586

$9.45 COP 33.0K

96.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.60 NT$778

$24.11 COP 84.1K

2.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.24 NT$1,177

$25.31 COP 88.3K

47.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.21 NT$481

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-20.53%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 NT$376

$4.10 COP 14.3K

189.76%

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

$632 NT$20.0K

$312 COP 1.1M

102.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K NT$581.8K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

207.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 NT$1,859

$58.0 COP 202.6K

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.12 NT$1,047

$32.56 COP 113.6K

1.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 NT$2,921

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-7.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,902

$109 COP 378.8K

13.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 NT$13.8K

$482 COP 1.7M

-9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 NT$9,252

$379 COP 1.3M

-22.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 NT$33.4K

$837 COP 2.9M

26.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 NT$22.8K

$723 COP 2.5M

-0.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,631 NT$241.2K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

168.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,251 NT$166.0K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

329.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,156 NT$68.1K

$541 COP 1.9M

298.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.19

13.43

-83.69%

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

Last update for Chiayi: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Chiayi and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 299% 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: $41.00 in Chiayi vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Chiayi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Chiayi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Chiayi pays 299% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Chiayi versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,160 per month in Chiayi versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 7% less than in Chiayi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,160 in Chiayi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Chiayi. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chiayi and Medellin 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 14% less than in Chiayi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.