Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,097 in Hua-lien versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Hua-lien versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,615 in Hua-lien versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 35% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hua-lien is 20% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$132

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-48.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.51 NT$907

$47.87 COP 149.4K

-40.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.23 NT$135

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-57.23%

Cappuccino

$2.84 NT$90.4

$3.13 COP 9,767

-9.27%

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

$0.94 NT$29.92

$1.91 COP 5,954

-50.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 NT$17.42

$1.51 COP 4,712

-63.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 NT$43.98

$3.12 COP 9,747

-55.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 NT$67.0

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-63.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.82 NT$89.8

$1.44 COP 4,509

95.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 NT$53.4

$2.49 COP 7,759

-32.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 NT$145

$1.77 COP 5,535

157.06%

Eggs

$1.90 NT$60.5

$2.96 COP 9,235

-35.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.71 NT$627

$10.07 COP 31.4K

95.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 NT$201

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-37.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.80 NT$821

$14.30 COP 44.6K

80.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 NT$85.6

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-35.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 NT$82.7

$1.61 COP 5,019

61.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 NT$104

$2.25 COP 7,007

45.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 NT$102

$2.25 COP 7,028

42.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 NT$74.4

$2.04 COP 6,375

14.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 NT$77.9

$1.54 COP 4,790

59.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 NT$64.2

$1.17 COP 3,651

72.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 NT$29.12

$1.31 COP 4,077

-30.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 NT$123

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.61 NT$401

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-9.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 NT$63.1

$1.74 COP 5,439

13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 NT$75.0

$2.87 COP 8,956

-17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.34

$1.22 COP 3,792

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.79 NT$1,139

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-55.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 NT$103

$1.31 COP 4,084

147.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 NT$9.86

$2.19 COP 6,825

-85.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$330

$8.71 COP 27.2K

18.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 NT$28.23

$1.37 COP 4,260

-35.04%

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

$33.3K NT$1.1M

$27.8K COP 86.9M

19.74%

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

$27.3K NT$870.2K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-23.58%

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

$102 NT$3,232

$177 COP 553.2K

-42.74%

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

$19.68 NT$626

$13.88 COP 43.3K

41.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.85 NT$409

$29.72 COP 92.8K

-56.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.75 NT$1,170

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-18.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 NT$322

$6.65 COP 20.7K

51.88%

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

$754 NT$24.0K

$813 COP 2.5M

-7.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K NT$538.2K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

84.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 NT$1,872

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-34.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.99 NT$1,146

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-38.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 NT$2,575

$138 COP 431.2K

-41.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 NT$3,362

$102 COP 318.7K

3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$417 NT$13.3K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,045

$663 COP 2.1M

-61.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$983 NT$31.3K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-47.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 NT$24.0K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,481 NT$238.1K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

78.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,013 NT$159.6K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

199.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,942 NT$93.7K

$678 COP 2.1M

334.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

10.94

-80.53%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $417 in Hua-lien and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 334% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Hua-lien vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $305, 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

Hua-lien vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 334% higher in Hua-lien, 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: $417 in Hua-lien versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,097 in Hua-lien versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hua-lien delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,097 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hua-lien hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.