Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kaohsiung Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kaohsiung

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,148 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,899 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,650 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 10% less than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Kaohsiung 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$4.11 NT$130

44.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$33.83 NT$1,071

-3.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.43 NT$172

32.60%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.99 NT$94.8

-43.14%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.97 NT$30.80

13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.72 NT$22.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.68 NT$53.1

-0.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.79 NT$88.2

11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$3.43 NT$109

-69.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$2.00 NT$63.3

-37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$2.61 NT$82.6

-46.74%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$3.30 NT$105

-31.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$16.13 NT$511

-73.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$9.45 NT$299

-38.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$17.56 NT$556

-49.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$6.20 NT$196

-63.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.59 NT$81.9

-58.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.86 NT$90.4

-46.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$4.00 NT$127

-65.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$2.91 NT$92.1

-61.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$2.23 NT$70.5

-49.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.95 NT$61.6

-56.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.19 NT$37.74

-23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.53 NT$143

-48.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$15.61 NT$494

-28.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.67 NT$52.8

-28.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.56 NT$81.0

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.82 NT$26.01

-3.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$26.95 NT$853

52.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.91 NT$92.1

-50.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.79 NT$25.16

141.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$6.12 NT$194

31.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.03 NT$32.54

-8.74%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$34.9K NT$1.1M

-48.63%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$25.6K NT$811.5K

4.49%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$102 NT$3,239

-17.95%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$25.62 NT$811

-62.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$25.09 NT$794

-3.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$39.67 NT$1,255

-34.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$11.12 NT$352

71.22%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$9.98 NT$316

-60.72%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$431 NT$13.7K

-28.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$11.5K NT$362.6K

-48.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$97.4 NT$3,083

-40.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$35.83 NT$1,134

-11.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$88.1 NT$2,788

13.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$104 NT$3,276

3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$442 NT$14.0K

10.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$279 NT$8,843

31.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$960 NT$30.4K

-14.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$686 NT$21.7K

4.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$4,630 NT$146.5K

-36.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$3,248 NT$102.8K

-56.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,533 NT$48.5K

-64.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

2.3

483.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 181% 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 Kaohsiung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $384 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kaohsiung differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $1,148 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaohsiung earns 181% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $442 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $431 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% higher in Kaohsiung. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,148 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, Medellin and Kaohsiung 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 11% less than in Kaohsiung. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.