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: $1,173 in Chiayi versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,961 in Chiayi versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,750 in Chiayi versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Chiayi is roughly 13% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiayi 12% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 NT$213

$5.92 COP 21.5K

14.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.59 NT$1,282

$32.75 COP 119.1K

23.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 NT$177

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-21.94%

Cappuccino

$2.17 NT$68.6

$1.70 COP 6,186

27.65%

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

$1.13 NT$35.56

$1.10 COP 3,996

2.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.84

$0.72 COP 2,625

9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$59.4

$1.67 COP 6,067

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 NT$95.0

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-2.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.26 NT$103

$1.06 COP 3,837

207.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$60.0

$1.25 COP 4,531

52.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 NT$100

$1.39 COP 5,060

128.78%

Eggs

$2.81 NT$88.8

$2.26 COP 8,229

24.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.24 NT$639

$4.33 COP 15.8K

367.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 NT$312

$5.84 COP 21.2K

69.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.08 NT$634

$8.83 COP 32.1K

127.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 NT$165

$2.24 COP 8,159

133.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 NT$93.6

$1.08 COP 3,911

175.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.3

$1.53 COP 5,563

86.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 NT$136

$1.37 COP 4,987

213.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$89.3

$1.13 COP 4,109

150.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.7

$1.12 COP 4,067

97.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 NT$62.2

$0.85 COP 3,080

131.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$42.12

$0.91 COP 3,305

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.09 NT$129

$2.33 COP 8,477

75.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 NT$153

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-56.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 NT$55.2

$1.19 COP 4,342

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 NT$75.5

$2.37 COP 8,617

0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.88

$0.79 COP 2,859

3.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.66 NT$1,221

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-6.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 NT$93.0

$1.44 COP 5,223

104.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 NT$13.10

$1.91 COP 6,952

-78.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 NT$319

$8.02 COP 29.2K

25.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.50

$0.94 COP 3,410

9.57%

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

$38.8K NT$1.2M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

116.74%

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

$28.1K NT$886.2K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

4.77%

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

$72.1 NT$2,275

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-14.19%

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

$18.85 NT$595

$9.60 COP 34.9K

96.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.69 NT$780

$24.16 COP 87.9K

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 NT$1,193

$25.88 COP 94.1K

45.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.13 NT$478

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-20.54%

Cinema Ticket

$11.66 NT$368

$3.92 COP 14.2K

197.45%

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

$645 NT$20.4K

$306 COP 1.1M

110.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K NT$592.6K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

217.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 NT$1,884

$57.9 COP 210.6K

3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.01 NT$1,074

$31.82 COP 115.7K

6.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 NT$2,934

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NT$3,942

$107 COP 389.7K

16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 NT$13.9K

$487 COP 1.8M

-9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 NT$9,163

$368 COP 1.3M

-21.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 NT$32.6K

$826 COP 3.0M

25.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 NT$22.5K

$716 COP 2.6M

-0.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,483 NT$236.2K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

155.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,182 NT$163.6K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

268.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,122 NT$67.0K

$546 COP 2.0M

288.92%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Chiayi and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 289% 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 $383 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 13% 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 289% 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: $440 in Chiayi versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,173 per month in Chiayi versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 6% less than in Chiayi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,173 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 $1,034 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 13% less than in Chiayi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.