Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Fort Portal

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Portal: $364 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
17

Cost of Living Index in Fort Portal
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Fort Portal Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Fort Portal

🇺🇬 Uganda

$364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Fort Portal

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 Fort Portal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $364 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Fort Portal $364

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $574 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Fort Portal $574

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $783 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Fort Portal $783

Medellin costs about 365% more than Fort Portal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Fort Portal is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$2.37 UGX 9,990

251.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$23.66 UGX 99.8K

96.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$6.93 UGX 29.2K

36.65%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.46 UGX 10.4K

27.24%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.37 UGX 1,545

378.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.24 UGX 1,004

491.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.20 UGX 5,049

162.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$1.72 UGX 7,235

231.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.27 UGX 1,126

466.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.68 UGX 2,850

236.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$0.90 UGX 3,795

115.56%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.15 UGX 4,835

166.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

142.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$4.14 UGX 17.5K

152.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$3.12 UGX 13.2K

347.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.96 UGX 8,246

106.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$0.71 UGX 2,996

115.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$1.20 UGX 5,052

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.13 UGX 4,786

102.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.20 UGX 5,075

75.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$0.57 UGX 2,386

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.73 UGX 3,081

60.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.49 UGX 2,046

222.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.30 UGX 9,700

70.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$4.57 UGX 19.3K

207.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$0.68 UGX 2,848

158.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$0.93 UGX 3,914

191.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$0.49 UGX 2,065

269.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$0.28 UGX 1,165

660.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$2.89 UGX 12.2K

181.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.16 UGX 4,905

10.34%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$6,927 UGX 29.2M

397.19%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$6,921 UGX 29.2M

393.21%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$66.9 UGX 282.2K

165.63%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$11.00 UGX 46.4K

26.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$32.84 UGX 138.5K

-6.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$7.16 UGX 30.2K

4.33%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$267 UGX 1.1M

195.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$16.1K UGX 67.9M

-23.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$13.23 UGX 55.8K

552.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$12.29 UGX 51.8K

382.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$30.84 UGX 130.1K

348.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$40.94 UGX 172.7K

141.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Fort Portal

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Fort Portal

$112 30.9% 63.4% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Fort Portal

$111 30.4% 50.2% $112

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Fort Portal

$81 22.3% 53.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Fort Portal

$44 12% 74.6% $128

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Fort Portal

$1.9 * 0.5% 98% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Fort Portal

$14 * 3.9% 74.8% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $24 in Fort Portal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $112 – making Fort Portal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇬 Fort Portal

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

14:05 2:05 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

54,275

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,624 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4,217 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD). 1 EUR = 4,739 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Fort Portal 11,750 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Fort Portal

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 Fort Portal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 365% more than Fort Portal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $546 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 $47 in Medellin and $24 in Fort Portal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 173% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Fort Portal, where all-in costs run around $364, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Fort Portal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $364 in Fort Portal to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.