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: $1,122 in Hua-lien versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,874 in Hua-lien versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,627 in Hua-lien versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Hua-lien is roughly 12% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hua-lien 16% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.00 NT$129

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-32.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.60 NT$1,085

$32.96 COP 103.8K

1.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.63 NT$149

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-37.69%

Cappuccino

$3.57 NT$115

$1.65 COP 5,207

116.36%

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

$0.89 NT$28.85

$1.10 COP 3,468

-19.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 NT$19.78

$0.78 COP 2,458

-21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 NT$41.26

$1.72 COP 5,412

-25.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 NT$63.4

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-38.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.19 NT$103

$1.10 COP 3,474

190.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 NT$59.9

$1.26 COP 3,962

46.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 NT$147

$1.38 COP 4,349

228.99%

Eggs

$2.56 NT$82.6

$2.18 COP 6,858

17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 NT$443

$4.49 COP 14.1K

205.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.76 NT$154

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.81 NT$511

$8.97 COP 28.2K

76.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 NT$141

$2.32 COP 7,308

88.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 NT$78.4

$1.06 COP 3,352

129.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 NT$134

$1.52 COP 4,774

172.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 NT$126

$1.36 COP 4,270

187.50%

Potato (1kg)

$4.39 NT$142

$1.13 COP 3,552

288.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.01 NT$130

$1.17 COP 3,689

242.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 NT$85.2

$0.90 COP 2,838

193.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 NT$44.60

$0.90 COP 2,823

53.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 NT$164

$2.23 COP 7,034

127.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 NT$441

$12.12 COP 38.2K

12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 NT$70.0

$1.19 COP 3,743

82.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$89.8

$2.48 COP 7,815

12.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.36

$0.85 COP 2,687

-3.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.17 NT$1,265

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-5.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 NT$108

$1.42 COP 4,459

135.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.65

$1.95 COP 6,141

-59.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.57 NT$406

$7.89 COP 24.8K

59.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 NT$34.76

$0.99 COP 3,118

9.09%

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

$41.8K NT$1.3M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

137.35%

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

$29.6K NT$956.5K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

10.53%

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

$75.0 NT$2,421

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-9.67%

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

$34.27 NT$1,107

$9.70 COP 30.5K

253.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.41 NT$821

$23.52 COP 74.1K

8.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 NT$1,215

$25.26 COP 79.5K

48.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.43 NT$498

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-19.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 NT$293

$3.95 COP 12.4K

129.62%

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

$779 NT$25.2K

$316 COP 994.2K

146.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K NT$501.8K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

160.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.40 NT$885

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-54.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.44 NT$1,500

$31.82 COP 100.2K

45.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 NT$2,309

$102 COP 320.1K

-29.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 NT$3,993

$107 COP 338.3K

15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$431 NT$13.9K

$475 COP 1.5M

-9.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 NT$9,469

$374 COP 1.2M

-21.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 NT$33.3K

$849 COP 2.7M

21.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 NT$23.6K

$719 COP 2.3M

1.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,160 NT$263.5K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

149.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,206 NT$135.8K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

191.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,850 NT$92.0K

$624 COP 2.0M

356.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.57

13.43

-88.31%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: July 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $431 in Hua-lien and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 356% 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: $34.00 in Hua-lien vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Hua-lien. 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 356% 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: $431 in Hua-lien versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Hua-lien. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $34.00 in Hua-lien. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,122 in Hua-lien, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hua-lien. 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, 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Hua-lien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.