Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Iganga Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Iganga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $444 in Iganga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $700 in Iganga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $955 in Iganga.

Living in Medellin is roughly 270% more expensive than in Iganga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Iganga is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.72 UGX 10.5K

195.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$26.86 UGX 103.8K

79.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.50 UGX 29.0K

25.60%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.54 UGX 9,821

15.75%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.39 UGX 1,526

376.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.30 UGX 1,175

386.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$1.35 UGX 5,220

137.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.90 UGX 7,333

200.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$0.86 UGX 3,313

67.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$1.00 UGX 3,872

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.40 UGX 5,428

21.43%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$1.53 UGX 5,903

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$4.57 UGX 17.7K

120.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.03 UGX 19.4K

98.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$5.28 UGX 20.4K

168.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.08 UGX 8,043

91.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.21 UGX 4,680

30.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.35 UGX 5,229

59.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.23 UGX 4,764

86.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.31 UGX 5,044

52.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.35 UGX 5,220

11.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$0.86 UGX 3,310

39.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.56 UGX 2,156

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.71 UGX 10.5K

41.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.12 UGX 31.4K

72.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.05 UGX 4,043

62.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$1.98 UGX 7,659

38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$0.52 UGX 1,993

151.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.32 UGX 1,226

578.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.25 UGX 12.6K

155.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.46 UGX 5,629

-6.85%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$7,878 UGX 30.4M

248.71%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$7,963 UGX 30.8M

358.84%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$74.6 UGX 288.1K

126.29%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$12.29 UGX 47.5K

10.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$38.07 UGX 147.1K

-25.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.77 UGX 30.0K

-14.41%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$266 UGX 1.0M

202.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,638 UGX 33.4M

6.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$15.00 UGX 57.9K

482.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$13.82 UGX 53.4K

329.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$34.00 UGX 131.4K

308.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$47.46 UGX 183.4K

115.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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 7, 2026

Last update for Iganga: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Iganga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $156 per month, with Iganga cheaper across the board.

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 Iganga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iganga is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 270% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $666 in Iganga 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.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $266 in Iganga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Iganga – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $444 in Iganga versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Iganga but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Iganga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Iganga is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Iganga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Iganga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 270% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.