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: $1,105 in Hua-lien versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,830 in Hua-lien versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,556 in Hua-lien versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Hua-lien is roughly 9% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hua-lien 18% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.03 NT$127

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-32.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.74 NT$1,067

$33.33 COP 116.3K

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 NT$145

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-36.65%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NT$107

$1.63 COP 5,687

107.36%

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

$0.96 NT$30.34

$1.09 COP 3,821

-11.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 NT$19.43

$0.73 COP 2,548

-16.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 NT$39.99

$1.74 COP 6,065

-27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 NT$62.1

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-39.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.14 NT$99.4

$1.05 COP 3,662

199.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 NT$56.4

$1.29 COP 4,515

37.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 NT$138

$1.32 COP 4,617

230.30%

Eggs

$2.56 NT$81.0

$2.27 COP 7,927

12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.10 NT$446

$4.35 COP 15.2K

224.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.76 NT$150

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-19.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 NT$517

$8.61 COP 30.0K

89.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 NT$143

$2.25 COP 7,844

101.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 NT$77.4

$1.07 COP 3,733

128.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 NT$130

$1.52 COP 5,322

171.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 NT$122

$1.42 COP 4,964

171.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 NT$145

$1.17 COP 4,084

292.31%

Onion (1kg)

$4.10 NT$130

$1.17 COP 4,077

250.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 NT$80.0

$0.89 COP 3,096

184.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 NT$43.42

$0.90 COP 3,146

52.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 NT$162

$2.25 COP 7,837

128.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 NT$444

$11.04 COP 38.5K

27.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 NT$67.4

$1.14 COP 3,977

86.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 NT$90.8

$2.38 COP 8,301

20.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 NT$27.79

$0.84 COP 2,916

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.02 NT$1,234

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-6.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 NT$105

$1.41 COP 4,912

135.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 NT$23.24

$1.90 COP 6,634

-61.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.46 NT$394

$7.75 COP 27.0K

60.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$33.80

$1.01 COP 3,509

5.94%

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

$42.0K NT$1.3M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

139.03%

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

$28.8K NT$911.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

8.84%

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

$73.9 NT$2,337

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-11.66%

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

$33.59 NT$1,062

$9.45 COP 33.0K

255.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.47 NT$805

$24.11 COP 84.1K

5.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 NT$1,193

$25.31 COP 88.3K

49.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 NT$475

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-21.58%

Cinema Ticket

$8.83 NT$279

$4.10 COP 14.3K

115.37%

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

$786 NT$24.9K

$312 COP 1.1M

152.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K NT$488.0K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

157.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.58 NT$872

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-52.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 NT$1,483

$32.56 COP 113.6K

44.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.6 NT$2,293

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-27.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NT$3,899

$109 COP 378.8K

13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 NT$13.4K

$482 COP 1.7M

-11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 NT$9,005

$379 COP 1.3M

-24.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 NT$32.6K

$837 COP 2.9M

23.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 NT$23.2K

$723 COP 2.5M

1.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,930 NT$92.6K

$541 COP 1.9M

441.65%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Hua-lien and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 442% 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 $358 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 9% 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.

Hua-lien pays 442% 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: $425 in Hua-lien versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% 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 $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,105 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 $1,017 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 9% less than in Hua-lien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.