Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $114 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Gulu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $114 in Gulu.

Medellin $1,639
Gulu $114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $167 in Gulu.

Medellin $2,413
Gulu $167

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $219 in Gulu.

Medellin $3,186
Gulu $219

Living in Medellin is roughly 1337% more expensive than in Gulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Gulu is 92% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.22 UGX 5,319

563.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.93 UGX 47.5K

-13.08%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

23.87%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.25 UGX 1,089

620.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.10 UGX 444

1310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.74 UGX 3,201

329.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.48 UGX 10.8K

131.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.93 UGX 4,034

25.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$28.56 UGX 124.1K

170.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.19 UGX 5,149

13.45%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gulu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Gulu

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Gulu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Gulu

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Gulu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Gulu

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Gulu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Gulu

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇬 Gulu

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

04:07 4:07 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

152,276

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.06 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,345 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD). 1 EUR = 4,851 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Gulu 11,950 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Gulu

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 Gulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gulu is about 93% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $171 in Gulu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

A monthly transit pass in Gulu runs roughly 63% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $114 in Gulu – Gulu is about 93% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $114 in Gulu versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gulu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.