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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,105 in Hua-lien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,830 in Hua-lien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,556 in Hua-lien.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 8% less than in Hua-lien, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Hua-lien 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$4.03 NT$127

47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$33.74 NT$1,067

-1.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.58 NT$145

57.86%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$3.38 NT$107

-51.78%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.96 NT$30.34

13.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.61 NT$19.43

19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.26 NT$39.99

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.96 NT$62.1

64.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$3.14 NT$99.4

-66.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.78 NT$56.4

-27.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$4.36 NT$138

-69.72%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.56 NT$81.0

-11.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$14.10 NT$446

-69.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.76 NT$150

23.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$16.34 NT$517

-47.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$4.53 NT$143

-50.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.45 NT$77.4

-56.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$4.12 NT$130

-63.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$3.86 NT$122

-63.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$4.59 NT$145

-74.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$4.10 NT$130

-71.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$2.53 NT$80.0

-64.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$1.37 NT$43.42

-34.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$5.13 NT$162

-56.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$14.04 NT$444

-21.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.13 NT$67.4

-46.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.87 NT$90.8

-17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.88 NT$27.79

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$39.02 NT$1,234

7.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.32 NT$105

-57.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.74 NT$23.24

156.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$12.46 NT$394

-37.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.07 NT$33.80

-5.61%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$42.0K NT$1.3M

-58.16%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$28.8K NT$911.6K

-8.12%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$73.9 NT$2,337

13.20%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$33.59 NT$1,062

-71.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$25.47 NT$805

-5.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$37.74 NT$1,193

-32.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$15.01 NT$475

27.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$8.83 NT$279

-53.57%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$786 NT$24.9K

-60.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$15.4K NT$488.0K

-61.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$27.58 NT$872

110.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$46.91 NT$1,483

-30.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$72.6 NT$2,293

37.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$123 NT$3,899

-12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$425 NT$13.4K

13.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$285 NT$9,005

33.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$1,032 NT$32.6K

-18.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$732 NT$23.2K

-1.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$2,930 NT$92.6K

-81.54%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $425 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hua-lien pays 442% 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 $190 vs $358 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 9% 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, Hua-lien earns 442% less. 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: $482 in Medellin versus $425 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% 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 $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,105 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 $1,017 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 9% less than in Hua-lien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.