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: $1,159 in Kaohsiung versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,912 in Kaohsiung versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,666 in Kaohsiung versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Kaohsiung is roughly 16% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kaohsiung 13% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.16 NT$134

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-29.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.09 NT$1,101

$32.96 COP 103.8K

3.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.46 NT$176

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-26.51%

Cappuccino

$2.99 NT$96.5

$1.65 COP 5,207

81.21%

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

$1.03 NT$33.19

$1.10 COP 3,468

-6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 NT$23.25

$0.78 COP 2,458

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 NT$53.7

$1.72 COP 5,412

-3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 NT$89.5

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-12.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.54 NT$114

$1.10 COP 3,474

221.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 NT$66.7

$1.26 COP 3,962

64.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 NT$84.0

$1.38 COP 4,349

88.41%

Eggs

$3.32 NT$107

$2.18 COP 6,858

52.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 NT$510

$4.49 COP 14.1K

251.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.24 NT$298

$5.79 COP 18.2K

59.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 NT$579

$8.97 COP 28.2K

99.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 NT$194

$2.32 COP 7,308

158.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 NT$83.5

$1.06 COP 3,352

144.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 NT$89.9

$1.52 COP 4,774

82.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 NT$130

$1.36 COP 4,270

196.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 NT$96.3

$1.13 COP 3,552

163.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 NT$72.5

$1.17 COP 3,689

91.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 NT$61.9

$0.90 COP 2,838

113.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NT$36.95

$0.90 COP 2,823

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 NT$140

$2.23 COP 7,034

94.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 NT$490

$12.12 COP 38.2K

25.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 NT$53.4

$1.19 COP 3,743

38.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 NT$79.2

$2.48 COP 7,815

-1.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 NT$26.16

$0.85 COP 2,687

-4.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.16 NT$877

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-34.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 NT$94.8

$1.42 COP 4,459

107.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NT$23.55

$1.95 COP 6,141

-62.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 NT$195

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-23.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 NT$34.53

$0.99 COP 3,118

8.08%

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

$34.2K NT$1.1M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

94.18%

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

$25.7K NT$831.4K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-3.92%

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

$105 NT$3,391

$83.0 COP 261.4K

26.49%

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

$25.44 NT$821

$9.70 COP 30.5K

162.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.82 NT$802

$23.52 COP 74.1K

5.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 NT$1,243

$25.26 COP 79.5K

52.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.37 NT$367

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-40.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.36 NT$335

$3.95 COP 12.4K

162.28%

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

$427 NT$13.8K

$316 COP 994.2K

35.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K NT$364.0K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

88.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.0 NT$3,067

$60.0 COP 188.9K

58.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.22 NT$1,170

$31.82 COP 100.2K

13.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.4 NT$2,886

$102 COP 320.1K

-12.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 NT$3,317

$107 COP 338.3K

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$448 NT$14.5K

$475 COP 1.5M

-5.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 NT$9,030

$374 COP 1.2M

-25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 NT$29.9K

$849 COP 2.7M

8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 NT$22.3K

$719 COP 2.3M

-4.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,510 NT$145.6K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

38.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,159 NT$102.0K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

119.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,463 NT$47.2K

$624 COP 2.0M

134.23%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $448 in Kaohsiung and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 134% 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 $382 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

Kaohsiung vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaohsiung and Medellin differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,159 vs $1,003 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 134% 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: $448 in Kaohsiung versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Kaohsiung versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,159 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 16% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.