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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,209 in Taoyuan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,825 in Taoyuan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,442 in Taoyuan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 39% more than Taoyuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Taoyuan is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$4.46 NT$142

79.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$24.81 NT$788

92.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$5.53 NT$176

78.84%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$3.04 NT$96.5

2.96%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$0.98 NT$31.08

94.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$0.73 NT$23.09

106.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$1.90 NT$60.5

64.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.35 NT$74.6

144.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$2.85 NT$90.7

-49.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$1.23 NT$39.23

102.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$2.63 NT$83.5

-32.70%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$2.11 NT$67.2

40.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$9.16 NT$291

9.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$7.49 NT$238

35.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$21.50 NT$683

-33.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$3.84 NT$122

7.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$2.02 NT$64.3

-20.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$3.08 NT$97.9

-26.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$3.15 NT$100

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$2.50 NT$79.4

-18.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$1.98 NT$63.1

-22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$2.27 NT$72.2

-48.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$0.88 NT$27.92

48.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$5.07 NT$161

-23.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$10.95 NT$348

27.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$1.45 NT$46.05

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$2.09 NT$66.5

37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$0.55 NT$17.63

121.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

$37.88 NT$1,204

112.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$2.88 NT$91.5

-54.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$0.77 NT$24.61

184.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$7.04 NT$224

23.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$1.00 NT$31.70

37.00%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$34.0K NT$1.1M

-18.15%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$23.5K NT$748.1K

51.96%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$69.1 NT$2,195

156.70%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$17.83 NT$566

-22.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$22.30 NT$709

33.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$33.89 NT$1,077

32.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

$7.18 NT$228

138.44%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$11.07 NT$352

-39.93%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$531 NT$16.9K

53.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$32.4K NT$1.0M

-71.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$91.5 NT$2,907

-2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$25.11 NT$798

134.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$82.7 NT$2,629

67.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$96.5 NT$3,067

5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$659 NT$20.9K

61.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$435 NT$13.8K

52.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$956 NT$30.4K

97.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$737 NT$23.4K

39.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$7,589 NT$241.2K

-44.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$4,683 NT$148.8K

-64.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,569 NT$49.8K

-56.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.18

401.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Taoyuan: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $659 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 131% higher in Taoyuan, 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 Taoyuan. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $313 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 – Medellin is pricier by about 39%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,813 in Taoyuan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,209 in Taoyuan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taoyuan, where all-in costs run around $1,209, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Taoyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taoyuan – 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 Taoyuan. 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.