Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaohsiung and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,148 in Kaohsiung versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,899 in Kaohsiung versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,650 in Kaohsiung versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 11% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 14% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 NT$130

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-30.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.83 NT$1,071

$32.75 COP 118.2K

3.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 NT$172

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-24.58%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$94.8

$1.70 COP 6,140

75.88%

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

$0.97 NT$30.80

$1.10 COP 3,966

-11.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$22.94

$0.72 COP 2,605

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 NT$53.1

$1.67 COP 6,022

0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 NT$88.2

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-10.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.43 NT$109

$1.06 COP 3,809

223.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.25 COP 4,497

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.6

$1.39 COP 5,022

87.77%

Eggs

$3.30 NT$105

$2.26 COP 8,168

46.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.13 NT$511

$4.33 COP 15.6K

272.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 NT$299

$5.84 COP 21.1K

61.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.56 NT$556

$8.83 COP 31.9K

98.87%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 NT$196

$2.24 COP 8,099

176.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$81.9

$1.08 COP 3,882

139.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 NT$90.4

$1.53 COP 5,522

86.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 NT$127

$1.37 COP 4,950

191.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$1.13 COP 4,078

157.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 NT$70.5

$1.12 COP 4,036

99.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 NT$61.6

$0.85 COP 3,057

129.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.74

$0.91 COP 3,281

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 NT$143

$2.33 COP 8,414

94.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.61 NT$494

$11.13 COP 40.2K

40.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 NT$52.8

$1.19 COP 4,309

40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 NT$81.0

$2.37 COP 8,553

8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$26.01

$0.79 COP 2,838

3.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.95 NT$853

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-34.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 NT$92.1

$1.44 COP 5,184

102.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 NT$25.16

$1.91 COP 6,901

-58.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 NT$194

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-23.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.54

$0.94 COP 3,385

9.57%

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

$34.9K NT$1.1M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

94.67%

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

$25.6K NT$811.5K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-4.29%

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

$102 NT$3,239

$84.0 COP 303.1K

21.88%

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

$25.62 NT$811

$9.60 COP 34.7K

166.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 NT$794

$24.16 COP 87.2K

3.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.67 NT$1,255

$25.88 COP 93.4K

53.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.12 NT$352

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-41.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 NT$316

$3.92 COP 14.1K

154.59%

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

$431 NT$13.7K

$306 COP 1.1M

40.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.6K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

93.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.4 NT$3,083

$57.9 COP 209.1K

68.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.83 NT$1,134

$31.82 COP 114.9K

12.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 NT$2,788

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-11.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NT$3,276

$107 COP 386.8K

-3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 NT$14.0K

$487 COP 1.8M

-9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 NT$8,843

$368 COP 1.3M

-24.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 NT$30.4K

$826 COP 3.0M

16.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 NT$21.7K

$716 COP 2.6M

-4.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,630 NT$146.5K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

58.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,248 NT$102.8K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

130.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,533 NT$48.5K

$546 COP 2.0M

181.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.3

13.43

-82.87%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kaohsiung and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 181% 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 Kaohsiung vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 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

Kaohsiung vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Medellin differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,148 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 181% 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: $442 in Kaohsiung versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Kaohsiung versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,148 in Kaohsiung, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Kaohsiung. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kaohsiung 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 11% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.