---
title: "Cow vs water buffalo — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Cow and water buffalo are near enough identical on weight. Compared on 4 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/cow-vs-water-buffalo/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Cow vs Water buffalo

**Cow vs water buffalo: Near enough equal on weight**

Cow and water buffalo are near enough identical on weight.

A cow and a water buffalo can be compared on 4 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | Cow | Water buffalo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 400–1,100 kg | 300–1,200 kg |
| Height | 1.2–1.6 m | 1.3–1.9 m |
| Length | 2.2–2.8 m | 2.4–3 m |
| Typical lifespan | 15–25 yr | 15–25 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Cow and water buffalo are near enough identical on weight.
- Cow and water buffalo are near enough identical on height.
- Water buffalo is somewhat greater than cow on length — about 1.1×.
- Cow and water buffalo are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Cow: 400–1,100 kg
- Water buffalo: 300–1,200 kg

## Cow

Domestic cattle; dairy and beef breeds differ substantially in size, and bulls far outweigh cows.

## Water buffalo

A domesticated bovid that supplies most of the world's buffalo milk and much of Asia's draught power.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, cow or water buffalo?

Cow and water buffalo are near enough identical on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do cows and water buffalo compare on height?

Cow: 1.2–1.6 m. Water buffalo: 1.3–1.9 m. Cow and water buffalo are near enough identical on height.

### How do cows and water buffalo compare on length?

Cow: 2.2–2.8 m. Water buffalo: 2.4–3 m. Water buffalo is somewhat greater than cow on length — about 1.1×.

## Related pages

- [Cow vs horse](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cow-vs-horse/)
- [American bison vs cow](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-cow/)
- [Cape buffalo vs cow](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-cow/)
- [Cow vs dromedary camel](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cow-vs-dromedary-camel/)
- [Horse vs water buffalo](https://atoneplace.net/vs/horse-vs-water-buffalo/)
- [American bison vs water buffalo](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-water-buffalo/)

## Sources

- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place (/about/)
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]