Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterford and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,687 in Waterford, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Waterford
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,687
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waterford 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 Waterford and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,687 per month in Waterford vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Waterford $2,687
  • Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Waterford vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Waterford $3,901
  • Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $5,115 per month in Waterford vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Waterford $5,115
  • Medellin $3,190

Waterford costs about 66% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Waterford and Medellin sit above the global median – Waterford by 99%, Medellin by 20%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.19 €19.71
$7.93 COP 25.1K
179.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.1 €80.9
$46.13 COP 146.2K
97.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.03 €10.69
$9.50 COP 30.1K
26.63%
Cappuccino
$4.15 €3.68
$3.11 COP 9,860
33.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 €2.70
$1.83 COP 5,796
66.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 €1.83
$1.38 COP 4,357
49.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.32 €6.50
$3.05 COP 9,666
140.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.00 €5.32
$5.50 COP 17.4K
9.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 €1.27
$1.45 COP 4,597
-1.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 €2.07
$2.36 COP 7,491
-1.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.68 COP 5,325
35.12%
Eggs
$4.38 €3.89
$2.86 COP 9,072
53.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.70 €13.94
$10.19 COP 32.3K
54.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.97 €9.74
$9.53 COP 30.2K
15.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.36 €11.87
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-4.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 €2.60
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-28.01%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.94
$1.50 COP 4,739
46.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.07 €2.73
$2.17 COP 6,887
41.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.01 €3.56
$2.31 COP 7,305
73.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.48 €1.31
$1.93 COP 6,110
-23.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.51 €1.34
$1.64 COP 5,193
-7.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 €1.11
$1.13 COP 3,568
10.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.25 COP 3,952
49.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.37 €16.32
$3.99 COP 12.6K
360.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.06 €12.49
$13.35 COP 42.3K
5.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.08 €2.74
$1.70 COP 5,380
81.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 €2.77
$2.37 COP 7,520
31.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.84 €2.52
$1.21 COP 3,825
134.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.4 €55.5
$76.5 COP 242.4K
-18.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.07 €4.51
$1.32 COP 4,177
284.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 €1.26
$2.14 COP 6,770
-33.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$54.9 €48.74
$8.47 COP 26.8K
547.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 €1.79
$1.30 COP 4,112
55.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K €34.1K
$28.0K COP 88.7M
37.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.2K €33.0K
$35.4K COP 112.2M
5.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$243 €216
$172 COP 545.3K
41.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.08 €18.72
$13.37 COP 42.4K
57.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.89 €44.31
$28.73 COP 91.0K
73.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.49 €43.96
$45.24 COP 143.4K
9.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.17 €12.58
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-16.84%
Cinema Ticket
$16.96 €15.06
$6.28 COP 19.9K
170.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$985 €875
$770 COP 2.4M
27.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$9,011 COP 28.6M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.1 €70.3
$86.4 COP 273.8K
-8.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.30 €42.90
$57.1 COP 181.0K
-15.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 €97.0
$137 COP 432.6K
-20.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 €99.9
$97.9 COP 310.2K
14.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,697 €1,507
$1,055 COP 3.3M
60.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,363 €1,210
$616 COP 2.0M
121.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,555 €2,269
$1,892 COP 6.0M
35.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,145 €1,905
$1,023 COP 3.2M
109.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,136 €2,785
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-22.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,573 €2,285
$1,678 COP 5.3M
53.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Waterford
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,161 €2,808
$652 COP 2.1M
384.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.14
10.94
-62.16%

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

Last update for Waterford: 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
Waterford
$1.4K
Medellin
$616 54.8% $747
Groceries & Markets
Waterford
$351
Medellin
$295 16.1% $56
Eating Out
Waterford
$332
Medellin
$168 49.3% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Waterford
$314
Medellin
$214 31.9% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Waterford
$157
Medellin
$170 8.3% $13
Getting Around
Waterford
$86
Medellin
$93 8.6% $7.4
Sport & Entertainment
Waterford
$83
Medellin
$58 30.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,697 in Waterford 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 385% higher in Waterford, 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 $91.0 in Waterford versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Waterford
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
11:32 11:32 AM
05:32 5:32 AM
6 h behind Waterford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
40,300
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,169 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,563 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Waterford Medellin 8,000 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Waterford
  • 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
Waterford vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Waterford?
Yes – Waterford is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,031 per month in Waterford and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Waterford or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Waterford and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Waterford and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,687 in Waterford and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 66%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Waterford or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Waterford at $2,687. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waterford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Waterford or Medellin more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Waterford or Medellin?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Waterford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Waterford vs other spots: cost of living compared

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