Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hua-lien Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Hua-lien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,122 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,874 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,627 in Hua-lien.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 11% less than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Hua-lien 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$4.00 NT$129

47.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$33.60 NT$1,085

-1.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$4.63 NT$149

60.48%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$3.57 NT$115

-53.78%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.89 NT$28.85

23.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.61 NT$19.78

27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.28 NT$41.26

34.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.96 NT$63.4

62.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$3.19 NT$103

-65.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.85 NT$59.9

-31.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$4.54 NT$147

-69.60%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.56 NT$82.6

-14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$13.72 NT$443

-67.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$4.76 NT$154

21.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$15.81 NT$511

-43.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$4.37 NT$141

-46.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$2.43 NT$78.4

-56.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$4.14 NT$134

-63.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$3.91 NT$126

-65.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$4.39 NT$142

-74.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$4.01 NT$130

-70.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$2.64 NT$85.2

-65.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$1.38 NT$44.60

-34.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$5.07 NT$164

-56.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$13.66 NT$441

-11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$2.17 NT$70.0

-45.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.78 NT$89.8

-10.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.82 NT$26.36

3.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$39.17 NT$1,265

6.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$3.35 NT$108

-57.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.79 NT$25.65

146.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$12.57 NT$406

-37.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.08 NT$34.76

-8.33%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$41.8K NT$1.3M

-57.87%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$29.6K NT$956.5K

-9.53%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$75.0 NT$2,421

10.71%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$34.27 NT$1,107

-71.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$25.41 NT$821

-7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$37.62 NT$1,215

-32.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$15.43 NT$498

23.78%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$9.07 NT$293

-56.45%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$779 NT$25.2K

-59.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$15.5K NT$501.8K

-61.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$27.40 NT$885

118.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$46.44 NT$1,500

-31.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$71.5 NT$2,309

42.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$124 NT$3,993

-13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$431 NT$13.9K

10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$293 NT$9,469

27.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$1,033 NT$33.3K

-17.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$731 NT$23.6K

-1.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$8,160 NT$263.5K

-59.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$4,206 NT$135.8K

-65.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$2,850 NT$92.0K

-78.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

1.57

755.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $431 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 356% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Hua-lien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $356 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

Medellin vs Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Hua-lien. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 356% lower in Hua-lien. 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: $475 in Medellin versus $431 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Hua-lien. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $34.00 in Hua-lien. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,122 in Hua-lien, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Hua-lien. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Hua-lien 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 12% less than in Hua-lien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.