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: $1,066 in Chiayi versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,512 in Chiayi versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,957 in Chiayi versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Chiayi costs roughly 35% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chiayi is 23% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 NT$152

$8.04 COP 24.8K

-40.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.39 NT$1,530

$48.29 COP 148.6K

0.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.05 NT$191

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-35.77%

Cappuccino

$3.48 NT$110

$2.94 COP 9,040

18.37%

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

$0.90 NT$28.58

$1.86 COP 5,735

-51.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 NT$20.99

$1.46 COP 4,479

-54.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 NT$90.1

$3.21 COP 9,882

-11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 NT$121

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-32.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.6

$1.44 COP 4,428

118.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NT$62.0

$2.40 COP 7,389

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 NT$101

$1.70 COP 5,228

88.24%

Eggs

$2.78 NT$87.9

$2.89 COP 8,896

-3.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.06 NT$634

$10.06 COP 30.9K

99.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 NT$312

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-1.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.01 NT$696

$14.20 COP 43.7K

55.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.95 NT$157

$3.98 COP 12.3K

24.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.41 NT$108

$1.58 COP 4,878

115.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$94.6

$2.15 COP 6,624

39.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 NT$141

$2.30 COP 7,078

93.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 NT$90.0

$2.00 COP 6,169

42.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 NT$72.9

$1.51 COP 4,646

52.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 NT$53.8

$1.20 COP 3,701

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NT$37.16

$1.28 COP 3,946

-7.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 NT$126

$3.84 COP 11.8K

3.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.64 NT$147

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-66.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 NT$54.8

$1.71 COP 5,256

1.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 NT$69.5

$2.74 COP 8,440

-19.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.53 NT$396

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-83.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 NT$86.8

$1.31 COP 4,016

109.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 NT$13.28

$2.17 COP 6,680

-80.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 NT$299

$8.29 COP 25.5K

13.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 NT$32.09

$1.36 COP 4,172

-25.74%

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

$34.3K NT$1.1M

$27.5K COP 84.5M

24.68%

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

$24.9K NT$786.9K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-31.91%

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

$66.9 NT$2,114

$169 COP 519.2K

-60.38%

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

$17.89 NT$566

$13.57 COP 41.8K

31.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.41 NT$867

$28.32 COP 87.2K

-3.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.38 NT$992

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-31.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 NT$294

$6.65 COP 20.5K

39.85%

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

$632 NT$20.0K

$803 COP 2.5M

-21.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K NT$539.2K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

85.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 NT$1,952

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-29.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 NT$1,267

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-32.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 NT$2,668

$139 COP 427.5K

-39.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,295

$102 COP 314.0K

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 NT$12.2K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-63.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 NT$8,163

$653 COP 2.0M

-60.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,228 NT$102.1K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-21.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,939 NT$61.3K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

14.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,155 NT$68.1K

$655 COP 2.0M

228.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.4

10.94

-78.06%

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

Last update for Chiayi: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $386 in Chiayi and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 229% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Chiayi vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $300, 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

Chiayi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 229% higher in Chiayi, 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: $386 in Chiayi versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,066 per month in Chiayi versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 522% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,066 in Chiayi versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,066 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.