Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chang-hua

For one person, living is cheaper in Chang-hua: $864 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Chang-hua
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Chang-hua Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Chang-hua

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chang-hua

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Chang-hua actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $864 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Chang-hua $864

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,343 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Chang-hua $1,343

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,822 in Chang-hua, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Chang-hua $1,822

Medellin costs about 87% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Chang-hua is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$3.83 NT$124

107.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$32.76 NT$1,062

40.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.53 NT$179

71.79%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.63 NT$52.7

90.80%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.96 NT$30.99

90.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.56 NT$18.01

146.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.36 NT$44.21

124.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.17 NT$70.3

153.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.38 NT$77.1

-39.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.07 NT$67.2

14.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$2.94 NT$95.5

-42.86%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.76 NT$89.5

3.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$16.19 NT$525

-37.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$9.51 NT$308

0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$21.23 NT$688

-33.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.82 NT$156

-15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.38 NT$110

-55.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.93 NT$95.1

-25.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$3.17 NT$103

-27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.77 NT$89.8

-30.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.11 NT$68.4

-22.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.69 NT$54.9

-33.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.77 NT$24.97

62.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.96 NT$128

0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$9.43 NT$306

41.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.38 NT$44.70

23.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.29 NT$74.4

3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.55 NT$50.4

-21.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$34.80 NT$1,129

119.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.65 NT$85.9

-50.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.76 NT$24.71

181.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$9.29 NT$301

-8.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.06 NT$34.39

22.64%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

-15.54%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$24.3K NT$787.5K

45.83%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$31.62 NT$1,025

444.24%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$16.99 NT$551

-21.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$18.71 NT$607

53.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$31.75 NT$1,029

42.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$9.38 NT$304

-33.05%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$636 NT$20.6K

21.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$7,946 NT$257.7K

13.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$49.35 NT$1,600

75.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$15.47 NT$502

269.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$78.1 NT$2,534

74.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$49.57 NT$1,607

97.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$252 NT$8,160

319.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$170 NT$5,528

261.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$509 NT$16.5K

271.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$169 NT$5,480

505.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,959 NT$96.0K

37.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,631 NT$52.9K

2.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,011 NT$65.2K

-67.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.2

397.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chang-hua: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Chang-hua

$170 19.7% 72.3% $445

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Chang-hua

$358 41.4% 21.5% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Chang-hua

$67 7.8% 68.6% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Chang-hua

$87 10% 49.1% $83

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Chang-hua

$84 9.7% 50.2% $84

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Chang-hua

$47 5.5% 49.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Chang-hua

$51 5.8% 12.6% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $252 in Chang-hua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 208% higher in Chang-hua, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $33.00 in Chang-hua. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $358 in Chang-hua – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇼 Chang-hua

🕒 Local time

20:45 8:45 PM

09:45 9:45 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

226,564

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Chang-hua 16,210 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chang-hua

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Medellin vs Chang-hua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 87% more than Chang-hua, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,296 in Chang-hua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chang-hua, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $864 in Chang-hua. That's a gap of about 87%.

Public transport costs about 120% less in Chang-hua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chang-hua, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Chang-hua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chang-hua costs $864 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chang-hua. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.