Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zhongli City

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongli City: $993 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Zhongli City
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Zhongli City Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Zhongli City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zhongli City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Zhongli City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $993 in Zhongli City, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Zhongli City $993

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,675 in Zhongli City, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Zhongli City $1,675

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,357 in Zhongli City, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Zhongli City $2,357

Medellin costs about 62% more than Zhongli City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zhongli City is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$4.62 NT$150

71.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$31.29 NT$1,015

47.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.77 NT$155

99.16%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.57 NT$83.4

21.01%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.03 NT$33.52

77.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.69 NT$22.35

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.61 NT$52.2

89.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.75 NT$89.1

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$3.18 NT$103

-54.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.74 NT$56.3

35.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$2.71 NT$87.9

-38.01%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.60 NT$84.3

10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$12.77 NT$414

-20.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.09 NT$230

34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$15.39 NT$499

-8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.74 NT$121

8.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.97 NT$63.8

-23.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$3.08 NT$99.9

-29.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.22 NT$72.1

4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.23 NT$39.81

56.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.90 NT$61.5

-13.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.44 NT$79.0

-53.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.85 NT$27.52

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.77 NT$122

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$15.45 NT$501

-13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.55 NT$50.2

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.55 NT$82.8

-7.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.61 NT$19.90

98.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$37.64 NT$1,221

103.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.68 NT$86.8

-50.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.58 NT$18.72

268.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$9.61 NT$312

-11.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.97 NT$31.60

34.02%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$33.1K NT$1.1M

-15.36%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$23.3K NT$754.6K

52.18%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$106 NT$3,433

62.55%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$14.76 NT$479

-9.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$17.14 NT$556

67.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$9.62 NT$312

-34.72%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$344 NT$11.1K

124.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$16.9K NT$546.5K

-46.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$72.1 NT$2,338

19.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$36.46 NT$1,182

56.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$55.0 NT$1,782

148.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$108 NT$3,505

-9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$448 NT$14.5K

135.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$251 NT$8,125

145.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$874 NT$28.3K

116.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$716 NT$23.2K

42.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$2,288 NT$74.2K

-71.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.1

420.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zhongli City: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Zhongli City

$251 25.2% 59.3% $365

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Zhongli City

$315 31.8% 7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Zhongli City

$138 13.9% 35.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Zhongli City

$122 12.3% 28.1% $48

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Zhongli City

$103 10.3% 39.1% $66

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Zhongli City

$46 4.6% 51.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Zhongli City

$19 * 1.9% 66.7% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $448 in Zhongli City. 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 251% higher in Zhongli City, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $31.00 in Zhongli City. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $315 in Zhongli City – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇼 Zhongli City

🕒 Local time

20:46 8:46 PM

09:46 9:46 AM

13 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

396,453

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Zhongli City 16,090 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zhongli City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Zhongli City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 62%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,490 in Zhongli City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhongli City, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $31.00 in Zhongli City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $993 in Zhongli City. That's a gap of about 62%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhongli City, where all-in costs run around $993, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Zhongli City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhongli City – 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 Zhongli City. 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.