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 $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $406 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $645 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $884 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Medellin costs about 150% more than Fort Portal, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Fort Portal are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Fort Portal 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.74 UGX 10.3K

117.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$26.82 UGX 100.5K

24.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$8.73 UGX 32.7K

-17.18%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.85 UGX 10.7K

-42.81%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.51 UGX 1,893

113.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.31 UGX 1,165

135.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.35 UGX 5,064

28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.83 UGX 10.6K

14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.34 UGX 1,289

208.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.86 UGX 3,240

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.14 UGX 4,258

15.79%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.42 UGX 5,309

59.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$4.44 UGX 16.6K

-2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$5.03 UGX 18.8K

16.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$3.51 UGX 13.2K

145.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.68 UGX 10.1K

-16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.81 UGX 3,051

32.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.66 UGX 6,216

-8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.36 UGX 5,095

4.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.57 UGX 5,902

-25.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.72 UGX 2,692

62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.03 UGX 3,854

-13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.55 UGX 2,046

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.97 UGX 11.1K

-24.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$5.21 UGX 19.5K

111.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.84 UGX 3,150

35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.09 UGX 4,092

118.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.54 UGX 2,033

161.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.28 UGX 1,059

578.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$4.24 UGX 15.9K

82.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.37 UGX 5,145

-26.28%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$9,009 UGX 33.8M

95.12%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$8,914 UGX 33.4M

197.21%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$42.82 UGX 160.5K

95.42%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$14.37 UGX 53.8K

-34.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$44.08 UGX 165.2K

-45.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.23 UGX 23.3K

-34.19%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$158 UGX 592.9K

97.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$4,290 UGX 16.1M

39.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$16.76 UGX 62.8K

246.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$14.42 UGX 54.1K

125.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$38.49 UGX 144.3K

158.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$47.26 UGX 177.1K

129.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $27.00 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 150% 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 $1,525 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 $27.00 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 $1,017. 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 $1,017 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.