Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waco, TX and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,414 in Waco, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Waco, TX
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Waco, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Waco, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,414

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waco, TX and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $2,414 per month in Waco, TX vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Waco, TX $2,414
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,069 per month in Waco, TX vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,069
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,724 per month in Waco, TX vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,724
Medellin $3,190

Waco, TX costs about 50% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Waco, TX and Medellin sit above the global median – Waco, TX by 79%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 $15.16

$7.93 COP 25.3K

91.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 $60.6

$46.13 COP 147.4K

31.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.50 COP 30.4K

27.05%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.11 COP 9,940

81.67%

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

$1.74 $1.74

$1.83 COP 5,843

-4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.38 COP 4,393

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.05 COP 9,744

60.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 $5.55

$5.50 COP 17.6K

0.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.45 COP 4,634

-44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.36 COP 7,552

40.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.68 COP 5,368

24.40%

Eggs

$2.77 $2.77

$2.86 COP 9,145

-3.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$10.19 COP 32.5K

16.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 $9.37

$9.53 COP 30.4K

-1.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 $11.95

$14.04 COP 44.8K

-14.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$4.07 COP 13.0K

-9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.50 COP 4,778

-22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.17 COP 6,943

76.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.31 COP 7,365

52.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.93 COP 6,159

18.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.64 COP 5,235

80.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.13 COP 3,597

56.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.25 COP 3,984

-20.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.60 $8.60

$3.99 COP 12.7K

115.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 $13.97

$13.35 COP 42.6K

4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.70 COP 5,424

-0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.37 COP 7,581

60.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.21 COP 3,856

26.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.25 $39.25

$76.5 COP 244.3K

-48.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$1.32 COP 4,211

652.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.14 COP 6,825

-14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.0 $59.0

$8.47 COP 27.0K

595.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.30 COP 4,145

-30.77%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.0K COP 89.4M

31.04%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$35.4K COP 113.1M

-29.27%

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

$182 $182

$172 COP 549.7K

5.58%

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

$39.37 $39.37

$13.37 COP 42.7K

194.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 $55.1

$28.73 COP 91.8K

91.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.59 $27.59

$45.24 COP 144.5K

-39.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 $8.73

$6.28 COP 20.1K

39.01%

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

$744 $744

$770 COP 2.5M

-3.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K $17.9K

$9,011 COP 28.8M

98.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.68 $46.68

$86.4 COP 276.0K

-45.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.08 $38.08

$57.1 COP 182.5K

-33.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 $85.0

$137 COP 436.2K

-37.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 $96.7

$97.9 COP 312.8K

-1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 $1,251

$1,055 COP 3.4M

18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 $1,322

$616 COP 2.0M

114.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-15.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 $1,350

$1,023 COP 3.3M

31.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,948 $1,948

$4,059 COP 13.0M

-52.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 $1,962

$1,678 COP 5.4M

16.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,176 $3,176

$652 COP 2.1M

386.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

10.94

-40.68%

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

Last update for Waco, TX: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waco, TX

$1.3K 54.7%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 53.4% $706

Groceries & Markets

Waco, TX

$313 13%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 5.9% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waco, TX

$276 11.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 22.4% $62

Eating Out

Waco, TX

$274 11.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 38.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Waco, TX

$120 5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 41.9% $50

Getting Around

Waco, TX

$64 2.7%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 44.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Waco, TX

$45 1.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 28.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,251 in Waco, TX versus $1,055 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 387% higher in Waco, TX, 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 $61.0 in Waco, TX versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $313 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waco, TX

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:21 11:21 AM

Same time as Waco, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,486

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.13 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,566 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Waco, TX Medellin 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Waco, TX
Medellin

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

Waco, TX vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waco, TX is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,621 per month in Waco, TX and $2,421 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 $61.0 in Waco, TX and $46.00 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 $2,414 in Waco, TX and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 50%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Waco, TX at $2,414. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waco, TX 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.

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