Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kampala Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kampala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $720 in Kampala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,098 in Kampala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,475 in Kampala.

Living in Medellin is roughly 128% more expensive than in Kampala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kampala is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.63 UGX 10.2K

205.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$26.64 UGX 102.9K

81.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.64 UGX 29.5K

23.30%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.61 UGX 10.1K

12.64%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.42 UGX 1,638

342.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.28 UGX 1,072

421.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.35 UGX 5,217

137.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.82 UGX 7,042

213.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.78 UGX 3,023

84.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.00 UGX 3,864

140.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.34 UGX 5,181

26.87%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.51 UGX 5,848

91.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$4.69 UGX 18.1K

114.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.09 UGX 19.6K

95.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$5.30 UGX 20.5K

167.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.16 UGX 8,341

84.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.17 UGX 4,507

35.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.35 UGX 5,214

59.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.24 UGX 4,806

85.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.32 UGX 5,082

51.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.36 UGX 5,247

11.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.78 UGX 3,014

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.56 UGX 2,161

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.58 UGX 9,976

48.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.10 UGX 31.3K

72.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.08 UGX 4,172

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.98 UGX 7,652

38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.82 UGX 3,165

52.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$46.24 UGX 178.6K

68.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.55 UGX 2,132

138.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$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 4,172

$1.41 UGX 5,452

-3.55%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$7,845 UGX 30.3M

250.22%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$7,825 UGX 30.2M

366.92%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$74.2 UGX 286.6K

127.42%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$12.74 UGX 49.2K

6.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$37.59 UGX 145.2K

-24.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$58.4 UGX 225.6K

-21.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$6.45 UGX 24.9K

166.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.84 UGX 30.3K

-15.18%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$257 UGX 992.8K

212.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,416 UGX 32.5M

9.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$14.99 UGX 57.9K

482.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$13.77 UGX 53.2K

331.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$33.79 UGX 130.6K

311.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$46.41 UGX 179.3K

119.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$523 UGX 2.0M

104.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$181 UGX 697.8K

261.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,149 UGX 4.4M

67.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$335 UGX 1.3M

212.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,250 UGX 4.8M

229.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$983 UGX 3.8M

72.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$190 UGX 735.2K

244.20%

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 Kampala: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $523 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 244% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $156 per month, with Kampala 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 Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 244% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $523 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampala – 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 $720 in Kampala versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kampala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kampala 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.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.