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: $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,829 in Kaohsiung versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,551 in Kaohsiung versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Kaohsiung costs roughly 34% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaohsiung is 19% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 NT$175

$8.02 COP 25.0K

-31.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.11 NT$1,022

$47.87 COP 149.4K

-32.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 NT$154

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-51.16%

Cappuccino

$2.81 NT$89.6

$3.13 COP 9,767

-10.22%

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

$1.08 NT$34.48

$1.91 COP 5,954

-43.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 NT$21.33

$1.51 COP 4,712

-55.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NT$47.02

$3.12 COP 9,747

-52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 NT$81.2

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-55.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 NT$103

$1.44 COP 4,509

125.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 NT$72.3

$2.49 COP 7,759

-8.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 NT$96.5

$1.77 COP 5,535

71.19%

Eggs

$2.69 NT$85.7

$2.96 COP 9,235

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.37 NT$489

$10.07 COP 31.4K

52.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 NT$250

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-22.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.16 NT$483

$14.30 COP 44.6K

6.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 NT$208

$4.14 COP 12.9K

57.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 NT$88.6

$1.61 COP 5,019

72.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.52 NT$80.4

$2.25 COP 7,007

12.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 NT$99.5

$2.25 COP 7,028

39.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 NT$86.3

$2.04 COP 6,375

32.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 NT$64.9

$1.54 COP 4,790

32.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 NT$74.9

$1.17 COP 3,651

100.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 NT$34.19

$1.31 COP 4,077

-18.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 NT$130

$3.90 COP 12.2K

4.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 NT$507

$14.01 COP 43.7K

13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 NT$50.8

$1.74 COP 5,439

-8.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$2.87 COP 8,956

-25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NT$23.72

$1.22 COP 3,792

-38.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.42 NT$395

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-84.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NT$86.9

$1.31 COP 4,084

108.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.81

$2.19 COP 6,825

-64.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 NT$182

$8.71 COP 27.2K

-34.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 NT$33.66

$1.37 COP 4,260

-22.63%

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

$33.2K NT$1.1M

$27.8K COP 86.9M

19.39%

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

$23.1K NT$735.7K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-35.39%

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

$84.7 NT$2,695

$177 COP 553.2K

-52.26%

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

$17.10 NT$544

$13.88 COP 43.3K

23.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.77 NT$820

$29.72 COP 92.8K

-13.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.62 NT$1,293

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-9.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 NT$329

$17.12 COP 53.4K

-39.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 NT$349

$6.65 COP 20.7K

64.66%

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

$474 NT$15.1K

$813 COP 2.5M

-41.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K NT$444.4K

$9,187 COP 28.7M

51.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 NT$3,007

$89.5 COP 279.3K

5.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.58 NT$1,069

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-43.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 NT$2,753

$138 COP 431.2K

-37.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 NT$3,176

$102 COP 318.7K

-2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 NT$13.0K

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-61.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 NT$9,042

$663 COP 2.1M

-57.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 NT$31.8K

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$670 NT$21.3K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-34.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,684 NT$149.1K

$4,183 COP 13.1M

11.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,170 NT$100.9K

$1,675 COP 5.2M

89.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,439 NT$45.8K

$678 COP 2.1M

112.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.56

10.94

-76.60%

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

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Kaohsiung and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 112% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Kaohsiung vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 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

Kaohsiung vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Medellin differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,107 vs $1,681 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 112% higher in Kaohsiung, 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: $407 in Kaohsiung versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Kaohsiung versus $813 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.