Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fort Portal Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fort Portal

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $406 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $651 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $896 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Medellin costs about 155% more than Fort Portal, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Fort Portal are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Fort Portal 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$2.79 UGX 10.4K

112.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$26.21 UGX 97.2K

24.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$8.75 UGX 32.4K

-17.71%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.87 UGX 10.6K

-40.77%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.48 UGX 1,779

129.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.31 UGX 1,160

132.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.38 UGX 5,106

21.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.84 UGX 10.5K

9.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.32 UGX 1,174

231.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.80 UGX 2,954

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.09 UGX 4,026

27.52%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.37 UGX 5,065

64.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.20 UGX 15.6K

3.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.98 UGX 18.5K

17.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$3.60 UGX 13.4K

145.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.82 UGX 10.4K

-20.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.85 UGX 3,134

27.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.67 UGX 6,174

-8.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.36 UGX 5,038

0.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.57 UGX 5,803

-28.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.68 UGX 2,512

64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.06 UGX 3,914

-19.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.58 UGX 2,147

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.94 UGX 10.9K

-20.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$5.50 UGX 20.4K

102.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$0.86 UGX 3,203

38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.14 UGX 4,221

107.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.55 UGX 2,024

161.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.26 UGX 960

634.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.06 UGX 15.1K

97.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.40 UGX 5,177

-32.86%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$9,042 UGX 33.5M

98.21%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$8,608 UGX 31.9M

211.23%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$42.64 UGX 158.1K

96.90%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$14.49 UGX 53.7K

-33.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$43.07 UGX 159.7K

-43.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.31 UGX 23.4K

-37.88%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$163 UGX 604.7K

87.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,253 UGX 15.8M

39.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$16.83 UGX 62.4K

244.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$14.30 UGX 53.0K

122.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$37.84 UGX 140.3K

164.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$47.76 UGX 177.1K

124.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

20.8

-35.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Fort Portal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $137 – making Fort Portal 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

Medellin vs Fort Portal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 155% more than Fort Portal, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $609 in Fort Portal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in Fort Portal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fort Portal, where all-in costs run around $406, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Fort Portal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fort Portal costs $406 versus $1,034 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Fort Portal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.