Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Busia

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $73.2 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$73.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Busia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $73.2 in Busia.

Medellin $1,589
Busia $73.2

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $118 in Busia.

Medellin $2,364
Busia $118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $163 in Busia.

Medellin $3,139
Busia $163

Living in Medellin is roughly 2070% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Busia is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$0.29 UGX 1,160

386.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.23 UGX 4,972

98.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$1.53 UGX 6,180

84.31%

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

$3.78 UGX 15.3K

256.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.43 UGX 9,841

64.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$0.78 UGX 3,140

188.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.46 UGX 5,898

10.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.24 UGX 961

425.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$1.15 UGX 4,663

232.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$5.03 UGX 20.3K

160.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$0.98 UGX 3,950

63.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$1.26 UGX 5,110

79.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

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)

$1.27 COP 4,046

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 Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Busia: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Busia

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

17:06 5:06 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

64,900

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,533 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Busia 12,180 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Busia

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

Medellin vs Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 2070% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,384 in Medellin and $110 in Busia 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 301% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $73.2 in Busia – a 2070% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $73.2 in Busia versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Busia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $73.2 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busia hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Busia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2070% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.