Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Waterloo, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,807 in Waterloo, IA, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo, IA
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Waterloo, IA Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Waterloo, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Waterloo, IA

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 Waterloo, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,807 in Waterloo, IA, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Waterloo, IA $1,807

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,550 in Waterloo, IA, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Waterloo, IA $2,550

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $3,294 in Waterloo, IA, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Waterloo, IA $3,294

Medellin is about 9% cheaper than Waterloo, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Waterloo, IA sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Waterloo, IA by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$16.11 $16.11

-49.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$56.4 $56.4

-16.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.91 $8.91

6.62%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$5.81 $5.81

-48.19%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$2.67 $2.67

-32.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.95 $1.95

-27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.92 $3.92

-18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$7.82 $7.82

-26.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.97 $0.97

55.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.40 $2.40

-0.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.74 $1.74

1.72%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.61 $3.61

-19.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$13.41 $13.41

-24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$13.36 $13.36

-26.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$17.38 $17.38

-19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.70 $4.70

-15.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.53 $1.53

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.87 $3.87

-43.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$4.43 $4.43

-50.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.14 $1.14

71.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.21 $2.21

-28.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.97 $1.97

-41.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.57 $1.57

-21.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$8.25 $8.25

-52.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$13.98 $13.98

-2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.71 $2.71

-38.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.77 $1.77

27.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$4.04 $4.04

-68.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$2.03 $2.03

0.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$44.55 $44.55

-80.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.01 $1.01

33.66%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$31.0K $31.0K

9.93%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$26.0K $26.0K

33.25%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$152 $152

11.74%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$52.8 $52.8

-74.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$60.8 $60.8

-53.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$26.92 $26.92

62.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$15.19 $15.19

-54.51%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$1,662 $1,662

-52.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$23.7K $23.7K

-61.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$19.83 $19.83

327.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$15.15 $15.15

282.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$58.9 $58.9

129.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$79.2 $79.2

23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$850 $850

42.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$749 $749

-14.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,359 $1,359

49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$973 $973

4.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,582 $1,582

163.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,530 $1,530

24.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,801 $3,801

-82.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.69

63.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Waterloo, IA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Waterloo, IA

$749 41.5% 16.8% $107

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Waterloo, IA

$364 20.2% 22.6% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Waterloo, IA

$265 14.7% 25.6% $54

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Waterloo, IA

$279 15.4% 64.6% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Waterloo, IA

$78 4.3% 53.9% $91

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Waterloo, IA

$14 * 0.8% 84.8% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Waterloo, IA

$57 3.2% 0.4% $0.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $850 in Waterloo, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Waterloo, IA are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $56 in Waterloo, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $364 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Waterloo, IA

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

02:09 2:09 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

67,314

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Waterloo, IA 4,350 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Waterloo, IA

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 Waterloo, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waterloo, IA is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,711 in Waterloo, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Waterloo, IA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $850 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $56 in Waterloo, IA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Waterloo, IA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,807 in Waterloo, IA, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,807 in Waterloo, IA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Waterloo, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.