Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taitung Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taitung

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,007 in Taitung, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,780 in Taitung, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,553 in Taitung, rent included.

Medellin costs about 70% more than Taitung, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Taitung is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$3.83 NT$121

109.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$47.71 NT$1,512

1.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$5.69 NT$180

71.70%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$3.35 NT$106

-13.13%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.99 NT$31.22

95.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.65 NT$20.53

133.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.80 NT$88.8

10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$3.85 NT$122

49.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$3.11 NT$98.7

-56.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.87 NT$59.2

27.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$3.23 NT$102

-47.37%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.20 NT$69.7

30.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$18.84 NT$597

-47.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$3.69 NT$117

192.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$21.75 NT$689

-32.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.94 NT$61.4

110.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.80 NT$88.7

-43.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.90 NT$60.2

12.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$4.55 NT$144

-51.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$2.82 NT$89.4

-27.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$2.35 NT$74.6

-36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.69 NT$53.7

-29.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$1.18 NT$37.30

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.89 NT$123

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$14.35 NT$455

0.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.68 NT$53.1

-5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.28 NT$72.3

24.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.64 NT$20.34

82.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$36.79 NT$1,166

111.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.65 NT$83.9

-51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.81 NT$25.78

158.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$9.63 NT$305

-10.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$0.95 NT$30.26

36.84%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$33.0K NT$1.0M

-16.06%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$23.8K NT$755.6K

48.92%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$81.8 NT$2,593

115.14%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$17.75 NT$562

-24.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$26.86 NT$851

11.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$37.17 NT$1,178

20.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$9.18 NT$291

-32.46%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$631 NT$20.0K

25.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$16.9K NT$536.3K

-46.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$28.53 NT$904

200.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$15.55 NT$493

276.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$49.56 NT$1,571

175.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$102 NT$3,240

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$402 NT$12.7K

163.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$253 NT$8,010

168.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$957 NT$30.3K

110.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$738 NT$23.4K

58.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$7,300 NT$231.3K

-43.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$5,023 NT$159.2K

-66.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$636 NT$20.2K

4.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.35

365.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Taitung: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $402 in Taitung. 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 5% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $48.00 in Taitung. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $344 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Taitung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 70%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,510 in Taitung. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Taitung, 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 $48.00 in Taitung. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,716 in Medellin and $1,007 in Taitung. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Taitung, where all-in costs run around $1,007, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Taitung it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taitung – 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 Taitung. 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.