Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterloo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterloo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,358 per month in Waterloo vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,528 per month in Waterloo vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,698 per month in Waterloo vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Waterloo costs about 132% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Waterloo sits 75% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 CA$20.98

$5.95 COP 20.8K

152.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 CA$91.0

$33.33 COP 116.3K

95.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 CA$13.50

$7.23 COP 25.2K

33.75%

Cappuccino

$3.12 CA$4.35

$1.63 COP 5,687

91.41%

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

$1.57 CA$2.19

$1.09 COP 3,821

44.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.25

$0.73 COP 2,548

120.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 CA$7.81

$1.74 COP 6,065

221.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 CA$9.14

$3.23 COP 11.3K

102.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.96

$1.05 COP 3,662

101.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 CA$3.22

$1.29 COP 4,515

78.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 CA$3.61

$1.32 COP 4,617

95.45%

Eggs

$3.08 CA$4.30

$2.27 COP 7,927

35.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 CA$12.00

$4.35 COP 15.2K

97.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.26 CA$22.71

$5.88 COP 20.5K

176.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.73 CA$19.17

$8.61 COP 30.0K

59.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 CA$5.78

$2.25 COP 7,844

84.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CA$1.65

$1.07 COP 3,733

11.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.48

$1.52 COP 5,322

111.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.32

$1.42 COP 4,964

168.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.23

$1.17 COP 4,084

97.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 CA$3.88

$1.17 COP 4,077

137.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 CA$2.84

$0.89 COP 3,096

128.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.33

$0.90 COP 3,146

85.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.21 CA$19.85

$2.25 COP 7,837

531.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 CA$14.08

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.39

$1.14 COP 3,977

113.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 CA$4.50

$2.38 COP 8,301

35.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 CA$3.88

$0.84 COP 2,916

230.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.5 CA$95.6

$41.95 COP 146.4K

63.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$1.41 COP 4,912

86.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$1.90 COP 6,634

-11.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 CA$40.70

$7.75 COP 27.0K

276.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.61

$1.01 COP 3,509

13.86%

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

$25.3K CA$35.3K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

43.71%

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

$19.6K CA$27.4K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-25.92%

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

$185 CA$258

$83.7 COP 292.1K

121.10%

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

$36.86 CA$51.5

$9.45 COP 33.0K

290.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.9 CA$75.3

$24.11 COP 84.1K

123.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.38 CA$55.0

$25.31 COP 88.3K

55.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 CA$21.40

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-19.91%

Cinema Ticket

$12.10 CA$16.90

$4.10 COP 14.3K

195.12%

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

$557 CA$778

$312 COP 1.1M

78.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K CA$14.3K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

70.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 CA$76.0

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-6.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.28 CA$36.70

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-19.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 CA$96.0

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-30.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 CA$121

$109 COP 378.8K

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 CA$1,946

$482 COP 1.7M

188.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 CA$1,779

$379 COP 1.3M

235.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 CA$3,270

$837 COP 2.9M

179.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,086 CA$2,914

$723 COP 2.5M

188.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,365 CA$7,492

$2,840 COP 9.9M

88.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,057 CA$7,062

$1,223 COP 4.3M

313.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,012 CA$4,206

$541 COP 1.9M

456.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

13.43

-50.04%

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

Last update for Waterloo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,394 in Waterloo versus $482 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 457% higher in Waterloo, 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 $65.0 in Waterloo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $190 – making Medellin 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

Waterloo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waterloo is pricier by about 132%, 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 $3,538 per month in Waterloo and $1,525 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 $65.0 in Waterloo 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 $2,358 in Waterloo and $1,017 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 $1,017, than in Waterloo at $2,358. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waterloo 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, Waterloo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.