Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taichung Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taichung

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,123 in Taichung, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,916 in Taichung, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,710 in Taichung, rent included.

Medellin costs about 46% more than Taichung, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Taichung is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.86 NT$154

65.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$32.16 NT$1,017

50.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.87 NT$154

93.43%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.87 NT$90.9

2.44%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.03 NT$32.70

80.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.77 NT$24.36

89.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.58 NT$49.86

103.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.91 NT$92.1

96.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$3.30 NT$104

-56.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.78 NT$56.2

34.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$2.68 NT$84.6

-36.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.63 NT$83.1

9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$29.27 NT$926

-65.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$8.14 NT$257

22.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$16.73 NT$529

-15.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.30 NT$136

-7.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.98 NT$62.5

-20.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.87 NT$59.1

14.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.30 NT$72.6

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.24 NT$39.29

61.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.96 NT$62.0

-22.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.43 NT$76.9

-50.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.87 NT$27.57

47.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.78 NT$119

1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$15.60 NT$493

-10.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.65 NT$52.0

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.60 NT$82.2

5.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.68 NT$21.43

83.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$31.34 NT$991

148.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.67 NT$84.3

-50.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.97 NT$30.56

123.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$9.29 NT$294

-10.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.02 NT$32.24

33.33%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-18.65%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$22.9K NT$725.5K

59.29%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$108 NT$3,404

56.77%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$15.03 NT$475

-9.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.12 NT$668

34.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$32.21 NT$1,019

41.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$13.31 NT$421

29.38%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.04 NT$318

-33.76%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$345 NT$10.9K

132.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$16.8K NT$532.3K

-45.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$69.0 NT$2,181

26.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$36.61 NT$1,158

62.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$83.7 NT$2,648

65.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$110 NT$3,468

-6.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$405 NT$12.8K

164.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$284 NT$8,992

129.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,216 NT$38.5K

58.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$750 NT$23.7K

39.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$7,201 NT$227.8K

-42.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$5,336 NT$168.7K

-68.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,399 NT$44.2K

-53.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.27

381.94%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Taichung: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $405 in Taichung. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 114% higher in Taichung, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Taichung. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $375 in Taichung – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Taichung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 46%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,684 in Taichung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taichung, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Taichung. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,123 in Taichung. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taichung, where all-in costs run around $1,123, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Taichung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taichung – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Taichung. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.