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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,107 in Kaohsiung.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,829 in Kaohsiung.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,551 in Kaohsiung.

Living in Medellin is roughly 52% more expensive than in Kaohsiung, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kaohsiung is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.50 NT$175

45.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$32.11 NT$1,022

49.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.83 NT$154

104.76%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.81 NT$89.6

11.39%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.08 NT$34.48

76.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.67 NT$21.33

125.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.48 NT$47.02

110.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.55 NT$81.2

125.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$3.25 NT$103

-55.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.27 NT$72.3

9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$3.03 NT$96.5

-41.58%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.69 NT$85.7

10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$15.37 NT$489

-34.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.86 NT$250

28.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$15.16 NT$483

-5.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$6.54 NT$208

-36.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.78 NT$88.6

-42.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.52 NT$80.4

-10.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.13 NT$99.5

-28.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.71 NT$86.3

-24.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.04 NT$64.9

-24.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$2.35 NT$74.9

-50.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.07 NT$34.19

22.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.07 NT$130

-4.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$15.91 NT$507

-11.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.59 NT$50.8

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.15 NT$68.6

33.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.75 NT$23.72

62.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$12.42 NT$395

547.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.73 NT$86.9

-52.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.78 NT$24.81

180.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$5.73 NT$182

52.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.06 NT$33.66

29.25%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$33.2K NT$1.1M

-16.24%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$23.1K NT$735.7K

54.77%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$84.7 NT$2,695

109.45%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$17.10 NT$544

-18.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$25.77 NT$820

15.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$40.62 NT$1,293

10.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$10.32 NT$329

65.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$10.95 NT$349

-39.27%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$474 NT$15.1K

71.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$14.0K NT$444.4K

-34.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$94.5 NT$3,007

-5.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$33.58 NT$1,069

75.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$86.5 NT$2,753

59.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$99.8 NT$3,176

2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$407 NT$13.0K

160.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$284 NT$9,042

133.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$998 NT$31.8K

89.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$670 NT$21.3K

53.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$4,684 NT$149.1K

-10.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$3,170 NT$100.9K

-47.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,439 NT$45.8K

-52.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.56

327.34%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kaohsiung: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaohsiung pays 112% 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 $32.00 in Kaohsiung. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $363, 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 Kaohsiung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kaohsiung differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,107 including rent). Kaohsiung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 112% lower in Kaohsiung. 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 $407 in Kaohsiung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $474 in Kaohsiung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,107 in Kaohsiung versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaohsiung but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kaohsiung 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 Kaohsiung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.