Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tainan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tainan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,186 in Tainan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,066 in Tainan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,945 in Tainan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 38% more than Tainan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Tainan is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.70 NT$149

71.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$25.49 NT$807

89.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$4.75 NT$150

98.32%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$3.26 NT$103

-9.82%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$1.36 NT$43.02

36.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.85 NT$27.02

71.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$3.13 NT$99.3

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.53 NT$112

61.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$3.19 NT$101

-54.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$1.73 NT$54.9

38.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$2.98 NT$94.3

-42.95%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$3.16 NT$100

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$22.90 NT$725

-56.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$12.95 NT$410

-23.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$20.78 NT$658

-31.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$5.44 NT$172

-26.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$2.81 NT$89.0

-43.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$4.84 NT$153

-55.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$7.14 NT$226

-67.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$4.77 NT$151

-58.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$4.49 NT$142

-66.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$3.02 NT$95.7

-60.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$1.50 NT$47.51

-14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.90 NT$124

-1.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.17 NT$385

15.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$2.02 NT$63.9

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$2.34 NT$74.1

17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.66 NT$20.78

89.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$34.24 NT$1,084

127.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$2.65 NT$83.8

-50.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.97 NT$30.74

123.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$5.75 NT$182

44.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.03 NT$32.49

32.04%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-25.46%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$25.5K NT$808.5K

43.14%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$90.7 NT$2,872

86.10%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.28 NT$547

-21.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.61 NT$685

31.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$45.85 NT$1,452

-0.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.79 NT$342

-38.37%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$438 NT$13.9K

83.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,477 NT$173.5K

67.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$94.1 NT$2,980

-7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$46.73 NT$1,480

27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$118 NT$3,742

17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$123 NT$3,908

-17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$313 NT$9,917

242.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$198 NT$6,280

229.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$866 NT$27.4K

122.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$714 NT$22.6K

46.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,188 NT$132.6K

-1.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$3,165 NT$100.2K

-46.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,403 NT$44.5K

-53.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.5

337.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Tainan: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $313 in Tainan. 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 Tainan, 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 $25.00 in Tainan. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $461 in Tainan – 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 Tainan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 38%, 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 $1,779 in Tainan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tainan, 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 $25.00 in Tainan. 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 $1,186 in Tainan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tainan, where all-in costs run around $1,186, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Tainan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tainan – 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 Tainan. 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.