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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Tainan vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,873 per month in Tainan vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,672 per month in Tainan vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Tainan costs about 6% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Tainan and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Tainan 20% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 NT$193

$5.99 COP 21.4K

2.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 NT$841

$32.86 COP 117.2K

-18.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 NT$161

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-27.93%

Cappuccino

$3.50 NT$110

$1.71 COP 6,105

104.68%

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

$1.12 NT$35.27

$1.10 COP 3,918

1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 NT$24.77

$0.78 COP 2,776

1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 NT$104

$1.68 COP 5,987

96.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 NT$105

$3.07 COP 10.9K

9.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.15 NT$99.3

$1.09 COP 3,899

188.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NT$60.4

$1.26 COP 4,500

52.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 NT$95.0

$1.38 COP 4,914

118.84%

Eggs

$2.85 NT$89.7

$2.19 COP 7,813

30.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.81 NT$624

$4.40 COP 15.7K

350.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 NT$315

$5.63 COP 20.1K

77.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.31 NT$640

$8.89 COP 31.7K

128.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 NT$137

$2.34 COP 8,334

85.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.82 NT$88.8

$1.06 COP 3,771

166.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.3

$1.50 COP 5,365

91.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 NT$135

$1.38 COP 4,915

209.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 NT$90.4

$1.15 COP 4,104

149.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 NT$69.5

$1.16 COP 4,148

90.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 NT$52.8

$0.89 COP 3,176

88.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NT$33.30

$0.84 COP 2,992

26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 NT$131

$2.28 COP 8,131

82.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 NT$439

$10.64 COP 37.9K

30.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 NT$54.8

$1.20 COP 4,276

45.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 NT$75.7

$2.47 COP 8,809

-2.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 NT$19.56

$0.86 COP 3,051

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.71 NT$684

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-47.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 NT$89.0

$1.47 COP 5,255

92.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 NT$24.63

$1.96 COP 6,997

-60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$326

$7.74 COP 27.6K

33.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 NT$32.08

$0.95 COP 3,403

7.37%

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

$37.7K NT$1.2M

$18.1K COP 64.6M

107.93%

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

$26.5K NT$836.1K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

0.20%

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

$86.7 NT$2,732

$82.3 COP 293.2K

5.41%

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

$18.57 NT$585

$9.50 COP 33.9K

95.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.99 NT$724

$24.23 COP 86.4K

-5.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 NT$1,254

$25.89 COP 92.3K

53.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 NT$486

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-18.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 NT$376

$3.93 COP 14.0K

203.56%

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

$269 NT$8,479

$309 COP 1.1M

-13.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,829 NT$215.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

14.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 NT$1,874

$58.7 COP 209.1K

1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.34 NT$956

$32.35 COP 115.3K

-6.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 NT$2,905

$103 COP 365.7K

-10.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NT$3,848

$108 COP 386.5K

12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$328 NT$10.3K

$476 COP 1.7M

-31.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 NT$6,157

$379 COP 1.4M

-48.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$684 NT$21.5K

$838 COP 3.0M

-18.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 NT$22.4K

$724 COP 2.6M

-1.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 NT$100.3K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

14.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,153 NT$99.3K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

160.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,368 NT$43.1K

$512 COP 1.8M

167.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.83

13.43

-86.37%

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

Last update for Tainan: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $328 in Tainan versus $476 in Medellin. 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 167% higher in Tainan, 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 $27.00 in Tainan versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Tainan vs $188 in Medellin – 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

Tainan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tainan is pricier by about 6%, 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 $1,611 per month in Tainan and $1,519 in Medellin. 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 $27.00 in Tainan and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,074 in Tainan and $1,013 in Medellin. 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 $1,013, than in Tainan at $1,074. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tainan 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, Tainan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.