Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taoyuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Taoyuan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $1,107 in Taoyuan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,706 in Taoyuan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $2,305 in Taoyuan, rent included.

Medellin is about 8% cheaper than Taoyuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Taoyuan are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Taoyuan 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.00 NT$158

19.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$25.74 NT$814

29.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.02 NT$190

20.10%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.83 NT$89.6

-42.40%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.23 NT$38.97

-11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.77 NT$24.25

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.63 NT$51.6

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.36 NT$74.5

36.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$3.30 NT$104

-68.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.38 NT$43.61

-6.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$2.51 NT$79.4

-47.41%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.29 NT$72.4

-0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$9.09 NT$287

-52.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$7.84 NT$248

-25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$16.02 NT$506

-46.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.17 NT$100

-29.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.91 NT$60.4

-43.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.65 NT$83.7

-42.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$3.03 NT$95.7

-53.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.39 NT$75.6

-51.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.83 NT$57.9

-36.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$2.53 NT$79.9

-64.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.93 NT$29.49

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$6.29 NT$199

-64.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$11.26 NT$356

-1.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.82 NT$57.6

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.35 NT$74.4

1.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.66 NT$20.79

27.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$41.47 NT$1,311

1.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.97 NT$94.0

-52.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.73 NT$23.13

160.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$7.92 NT$250

-2.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.06 NT$33.46

-4.72%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$36.9K NT$1.2M

-52.31%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$26.4K NT$833.4K

0.50%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$64.3 NT$2,032

30.16%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$29.32 NT$927

-67.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$19.22 NT$607

25.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$37.56 NT$1,187

-32.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$10.20 NT$322

87.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$10.22 NT$323

-59.88%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$579 NT$18.3K

-46.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$15.3K NT$483.8K

-60.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$80.1 NT$2,533

-27.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$23.42 NT$740

39.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$83.5 NT$2,639

19.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$101 NT$3,185

7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$432 NT$13.6K

11.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$352 NT$11.1K

7.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$839 NT$26.5K

-0.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$599 NT$18.9K

20.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$7,660 NT$242.1K

-62.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$4,716 NT$149.1K

-74.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$1,557 NT$49.2K

-65.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

1.57

755.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $432 in Taoyuan. 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 188% higher in Taoyuan, 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Taoyuan. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $302 in Taoyuan – 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 Taoyuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Taoyuan is pricier by about 9%, 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 $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,660 in Taoyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in Taoyuan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,017 in Medellin and $1,107 in Taoyuan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Taoyuan at $1,107. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taoyuan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taoyuan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.