Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gulu and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $117 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$117

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $117 in Gulu versus $1,589 in Medellin.

Gulu $117
Medellin $1,589

Estimated couple costs with rent: $170 in Gulu versus $2,364 in Medellin.

Gulu $170
Medellin $2,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $223 in Gulu versus $3,139 in Medellin.

Gulu $223
Medellin $3,139

Living in Gulu costs roughly 93% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gulu is 91% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.26 UGX 5,091

$8.01 COP 25.5K

-84.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 UGX 44.4K

$9.43 COP 30.1K

16.44%

Cappuccino

$2.44 UGX 9,864

$2.91 COP 9,277

-16.15%

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

$0.24 UGX 964

$1.75 COP 5,585

-86.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 UGX 522

$1.32 COP 4,218

-90.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 UGX 3,107

$3.13 COP 9,969

-75.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 UGX 10.2K

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-54.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 UGX 3,975

$1.17 COP 3,731

-16.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.35 UGX 122.8K

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-59.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 UGX 4,990

$1.27 COP 4,046

-3.15%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

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

$162 COP 516.9K

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

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

$764 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Gulu: October 4, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gulu

–

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Groceries & Markets

Gulu

–

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gulu

–

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Gulu

–

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Eating Out

Gulu

–

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Getting Around

Gulu

–

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Gulu

–

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Good to know

🇺🇬 Gulu

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

8 h behind Gulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,276

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,537 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gulu Medellin 11,950 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Gulu
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

Gulu vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gulu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. The 1256% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $176 in Gulu and $2,384 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

A monthly transit pass in Gulu runs roughly 147% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

All in, you'll spend $117 per month in Gulu versus $1,589 in Medellin – a 1256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $117 in Gulu versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gulu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gulu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Gulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1256% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.