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 $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $406 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $635 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $864 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Medellin costs about 314% more than Fort Portal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Fort Portal is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$2.67 UGX 10.5K

200.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$26.03 UGX 102.5K

83.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$7.81 UGX 30.7K

26.63%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.64 UGX 10.4K

18.56%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.39 UGX 1,538

389.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.28 UGX 1,098

439.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.33 UGX 5,251

134.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.87 UGX 7,346

207.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$0.31 UGX 1,208

364.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$0.76 UGX 2,990

227.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.08 UGX 4,253

63.89%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.28 UGX 5,043

131.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$4.66 UGX 18.4K

116.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.05 UGX 19.9K

100.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$3.39 UGX 13.4K

321.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.16 UGX 8,520

91.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$0.76 UGX 2,998

111.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.39 UGX 5,485

61.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.28 UGX 5,043

75.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.32 UGX 5,190

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.68 UGX 2,686

126.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.84 UGX 3,308

39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.51 UGX 2,027

156.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.63 UGX 10.4K

48.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$5.45 UGX 21.5K

157.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$0.77 UGX 3,052

125.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$1.04 UGX 4,097

175.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.56 UGX 2,187

133.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.34 UGX 1,341

544.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$3.23 UGX 12.7K

169.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.35 UGX 5,325

1.48%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$7,827 UGX 30.8M

255.65%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$8,091 UGX 31.9M

342.16%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$75.9 UGX 298.9K

133.63%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$12.40 UGX 48.8K

11.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$37.36 UGX 147.1K

-20.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$8.10 UGX 31.9K

-17.90%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$263 UGX 1.0M

209.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$8,692 UGX 34.2M

5.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$15.15 UGX 59.6K

490.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$14.11 UGX 55.6K

317.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$34.19 UGX 134.6K

304.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$46.35 UGX 182.5K

120.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

20.75

-47.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Fort Portal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $129 – 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 314% more than Fort Portal, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 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 $48.00 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 137% 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 $1,681. 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 $1,681 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.