Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chiayi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chiayi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,058 in Chiayi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,497 in Chiayi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,937 in Chiayi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 59% more expensive than in Chiayi, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.83 NT$154

66.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$46.59 NT$1,483

2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.83 NT$186

69.64%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.53 NT$113

-11.33%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.85 NT$26.98

124.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.65 NT$20.81

132.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.85 NT$90.8

9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.68 NT$117

56.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$3.12 NT$99.2

-53.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.03 NT$64.8

22.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$3.08 NT$97.9

-42.53%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.69 NT$85.6

10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$19.52 NT$621

-48.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$9.56 NT$304

5.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$21.35 NT$680

-33.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$5.07 NT$161

-18.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$3.43 NT$109

-53.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$3.16 NT$101

-28.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$4.57 NT$145

-50.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.70 NT$85.8

-24.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.26 NT$71.8

-31.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.77 NT$56.4

-33.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.12 NT$35.72

16.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.84 NT$122

1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$4.63 NT$147

202.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.72 NT$54.9

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.29 NT$73.0

25.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$12.51 NT$398

543.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.61 NT$83.1

-49.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.46 NT$14.64

376.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$9.23 NT$294

-5.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.02 NT$32.49

34.31%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-17.57%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$24.5K NT$778.3K

46.30%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$65.8 NT$2,095

169.37%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$17.73 NT$564

-21.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$27.95 NT$890

6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$31.98 NT$1,018

40.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.85 NT$314

-32.49%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$631 NT$20.1K

28.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$16.6K NT$527.0K

-44.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$63.4 NT$2,017

41.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$39.63 NT$1,262

48.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$83.9 NT$2,672

64.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$104 NT$3,304

-1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$375 NT$11.9K

183.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$251 NT$7,981

164.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$3,152 NT$100.3K

32.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,883 NT$59.9K

-11.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,129 NT$67.8K

-68.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.4

355.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chiayi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $375 in Chiayi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiayi pays 214% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $47.00 in Chiayi. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $382, 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

Medellin vs Chiayi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chiayi wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chiayi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 214% lower in Chiayi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $375 in Chiayi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,058 in Chiayi – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chiayi runs roughly 543% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,058 in Chiayi versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chiayi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chiayi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chiayi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,058 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chiayi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Chiayi 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 Chiayi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.