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 $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $402 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $648 in Fort Portal, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $895 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Medellin costs about 149% more than Fort Portal, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Fort Portal are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Fort Portal 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$2.80 UGX 10.5K

111.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$26.77 UGX 100.2K

23.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$8.67 UGX 32.5K

-14.30%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.87 UGX 10.7K

-42.51%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.47 UGX 1,775

134.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.31 UGX 1,169

151.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.41 UGX 5,264

21.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.74 UGX 10.2K

16.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$0.32 UGX 1,189

243.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.82 UGX 3,066

53.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.08 UGX 4,051

27.78%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.42 UGX 5,310

53.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$4.40 UGX 16.5K

2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$5.04 UGX 18.9K

14.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$3.71 UGX 13.9K

141.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.78 UGX 10.4K

-16.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.81 UGX 3,016

30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.67 UGX 6,265

-8.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.37 UGX 5,122

-0.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.57 UGX 5,892

-28.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.68 UGX 2,562

72.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.02 UGX 3,807

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.53 UGX 1,994

69.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.98 UGX 11.2K

-25.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$5.27 UGX 19.7K

129.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$0.82 UGX 3,068

45.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.12 UGX 4,211

121.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.58 UGX 2,154

144.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.26 UGX 960

650.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$4.08 UGX 15.3K

93.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.43 UGX 5,342

-30.77%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$9,146 UGX 34.2M

92.45%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$8,828 UGX 33.1M

203.57%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$41.55 UGX 155.6K

99.78%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$14.11 UGX 52.8K

-31.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$43.62 UGX 163.3K

-46.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.21 UGX 23.2K

-36.39%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$158 UGX 592.5K

99.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$4,376 UGX 16.4M

36.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$17.04 UGX 63.8K

252.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$14.02 UGX 52.5K

126.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$38.75 UGX 145.1K

162.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$46.17 UGX 172.9K

132.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: July 26, 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: $193 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 149% 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 $1,504 per month in Medellin and $603 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 41% 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 $402, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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 $402 versus $1,003 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.