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: $1,149 in Chiayi versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,950 in Chiayi versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,751 in Chiayi versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Chiayi is roughly 15% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiayi 14% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.71 NT$217

$5.91 COP 18.9K

13.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.61 NT$1,314

$32.96 COP 105.2K

23.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 NT$190

$7.43 COP 23.7K

-20.86%

Cappuccino

$2.24 NT$72.3

$1.65 COP 5,276

35.76%

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

$1.16 NT$37.65

$1.10 COP 3,514

5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 NT$25.03

$0.78 COP 2,491

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 NT$60.9

$1.72 COP 5,484

9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 NT$96.5

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.21 NT$104

$1.10 COP 3,521

191.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NT$61.4

$1.26 COP 4,015

50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$98.0

$1.38 COP 4,407

119.57%

Eggs

$2.92 NT$94.4

$2.18 COP 6,950

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.98 NT$646

$4.49 COP 14.3K

344.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 NT$320

$5.79 COP 18.5K

70.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 NT$650

$8.97 COP 28.6K

124.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 NT$166

$2.32 COP 7,405

120.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NT$92.8

$1.06 COP 3,397

170.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 NT$89.2

$1.52 COP 4,838

81.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.12 NT$133

$1.36 COP 4,327

202.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 NT$91.6

$1.13 COP 3,599

150.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NT$70.4

$1.17 COP 3,738

85.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 NT$60.7

$0.90 COP 2,876

108.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NT$43.00

$0.90 COP 2,861

47.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 NT$131

$2.23 COP 7,128

82.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 NT$155

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 NT$58.1

$1.19 COP 3,793

50.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 NT$78.5

$2.48 COP 7,920

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 NT$27.12

$0.85 COP 2,723

-1.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.58 NT$1,280

$41.62 COP 132.8K

-4.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 NT$94.7

$1.42 COP 4,518

106.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 NT$13.46

$1.95 COP 6,223

-78.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 NT$324

$7.89 COP 25.2K

27.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 NT$33.62

$0.99 COP 3,160

5.05%

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

$37.9K NT$1.2M

$17.6K COP 56.2M

115.19%

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

$27.4K NT$885.2K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

2.11%

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

$72.4 NT$2,342

$83.0 COP 264.9K

-12.79%

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

$19.02 NT$615

$9.70 COP 30.9K

96.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.90 NT$806

$23.52 COP 75.0K

5.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 NT$1,207

$25.26 COP 80.6K

47.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 NT$496

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-19.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NT$388

$3.95 COP 12.6K

203.29%

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

$644 NT$20.8K

$316 COP 1.0M

104.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K NT$597.2K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

208.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NT$1,910

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-1.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.77 NT$1,060

$31.82 COP 101.5K

2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 NT$2,974

$102 COP 324.4K

-9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,994

$107 COP 342.8K

14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 NT$13.8K

$475 COP 1.5M

-10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 NT$9,385

$374 COP 1.2M

-22.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,042 NT$33.7K

$849 COP 2.7M

22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 NT$23.3K

$719 COP 2.3M

0.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,045 NT$98.5K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-6.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,834 NT$59.3K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

27.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,116 NT$68.4K

$624 COP 2.0M

238.82%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Chiayi and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 239% 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 $379 vs $193 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 15% 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.

Average pay runs 239% 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: $426 in Chiayi versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,149 per month in Chiayi versus $1,003 in Medellin – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 5% less than in Chiayi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,149 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 $1,003 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 15% less than in Chiayi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.