Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Waling Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Waling

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $324 in Waling, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $541 in Waling, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $757 in Waling, rent included.

Medellin costs about 429% more than Waling, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Waling is 76% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$1.95 NPR 296

311.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$20.39 NPR 3,085

136.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$6.54 NPR 989

49.39%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.60 NPR 242

81.88%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.55 NPR 83.6

252.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.16 NPR 24.70

850.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.36 NPR 509

-8.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.70 NPR 560

55.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$0.76 NPR 115

78.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$0.48 NPR 72.8

397.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$0.93 NPR 140

82.80%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.29 NPR 195

122.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$6.46 NPR 978

53.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$2.60 NPR 393

314.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$3.31 NPR 500

345.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.10 NPR 318

94.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$0.76 NPR 115

106.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.33 NPR 202

60.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.58 NPR 87.9

281.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.38 NPR 56.9

439.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.37 NPR 56.1

305.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.46 NPR 69.4

158.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.22 NPR 32.82

427.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.66 NPR 403

46.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.18 NPR 784

178.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.31 NPR 349

-31.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.94 NPR 445

-3.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.99 NPR 301

-35.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.28 NPR 194

63.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$3.22 NPR 487

167.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.39 NPR 210

-6.47%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$29.5K NPR 4.5M

-6.26%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$36.2K NPR 5.5M

-1.92%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$32.28 NPR 4,884

445.45%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$3.31 NPR 501

303.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$7.78 NPR 1,178

284.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$3.03 NPR 458

104.62%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$67.4 NPR 10.2K

1077.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$4,826 NPR 730.1K

86.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$26.42 NPR 3,997

224.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$28.16 NPR 4,260

107.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$66.2 NPR 10.0K

106.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$29.65 NPR 4,485

247.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,080 NPR 163.4K

280.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,254 NPR 189.7K

35.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.72

12.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Waling: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Waling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $121 – making Waling 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 Waling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 429%, 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $487 in Waling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $20.00 in Waling. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 151% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Waling, where all-in costs run around $324, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Waling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Waling – 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 Waling. 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.