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: $1,188 in Kaohsiung versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,951 in Kaohsiung versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,714 in Kaohsiung versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 17% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 12% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.05 NT$128

$5.95 COP 20.8K

-31.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.24 NT$1,082

$33.33 COP 116.3K

2.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.51 NT$174

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-23.79%

Cappuccino

$3.09 NT$97.8

$1.63 COP 5,687

89.57%

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

$0.97 NT$30.78

$1.09 COP 3,821

-11.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 NT$22.50

$0.73 COP 2,548

-2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$52.4

$1.74 COP 6,065

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 NT$86.2

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-15.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.50 NT$110

$1.05 COP 3,662

233.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 NT$63.3

$1.29 COP 4,515

55.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 NT$82.4

$1.32 COP 4,617

97.73%

Eggs

$3.33 NT$105

$2.27 COP 7,927

46.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.02 NT$506

$4.35 COP 15.2K

268.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.41 NT$297

$5.88 COP 20.5K

60.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.01 NT$569

$8.61 COP 30.0K

109.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.17 NT$195

$2.25 COP 7,844

174.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NT$81.1

$1.07 COP 3,733

139.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.84 NT$89.9

$1.52 COP 5,322

86.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 NT$126

$1.42 COP 4,964

180.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 NT$95.1

$1.17 COP 4,084

157.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 NT$67.2

$1.17 COP 4,077

82.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NT$58.6

$0.89 COP 3,096

107.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NT$37.52

$0.90 COP 3,146

32.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 NT$139

$2.25 COP 7,837

94.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.51 NT$490

$11.04 COP 38.5K

40.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 NT$54.3

$1.14 COP 3,977

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 NT$77.7

$2.38 COP 8,301

3.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 NT$25.79

$0.84 COP 2,916

-2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.56 NT$840

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-36.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$92.9

$1.41 COP 4,912

108.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.73

$1.90 COP 6,634

-58.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 NT$198

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-18.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.71

$1.01 COP 3,509

1.98%

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

$33.9K NT$1.1M

$17.6K COP 61.4M

92.82%

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

$25.7K NT$811.1K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-3.16%

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

$102 NT$3,225

$83.7 COP 292.1K

21.90%

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

$25.18 NT$796

$9.45 COP 33.0K

166.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.61 NT$810

$24.11 COP 84.1K

6.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.43 NT$1,246

$25.31 COP 88.3K

55.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.15 NT$352

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-41.75%

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NT$319

$4.10 COP 14.3K

145.85%

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

$428 NT$13.5K

$312 COP 1.1M

37.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K NT$362.7K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

91.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,004

$58.0 COP 202.6K

63.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.01 NT$1,138

$32.56 COP 113.6K

10.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NT$2,824

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-10.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 NT$3,191

$109 COP 378.8K

-6.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$443 NT$14.0K

$482 COP 1.7M

-8.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 NT$8,897

$379 COP 1.3M

-25.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 NT$30.0K

$837 COP 2.9M

13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NT$21.6K

$723 COP 2.5M

-5.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,584 NT$144.9K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

61.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,194 NT$101.0K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

161.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,503 NT$47.5K

$541 COP 1.9M

177.80%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $443 in Kaohsiung and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 178% 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 $385 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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,188 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaohsiung pays 178% 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: $443 in Kaohsiung versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $428 in Kaohsiung versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,188 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 17% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.