Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kapchorwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kapchorwa: $413 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Kapchorwa
Learn more

Kapchorwa Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Kapchorwa

🇺🇬 Uganda

$413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kapchorwa

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $413 in Kapchorwa, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Kapchorwa $413

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $651 in Kapchorwa, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Kapchorwa $651

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $889 in Kapchorwa, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Kapchorwa $889

Medellin costs about 291% more than Kapchorwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kapchorwa is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$2.44 UGX 10.0K

225.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$24.41 UGX 100.4K

88.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$7.32 UGX 30.1K

29.78%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.50 UGX 10.3K

24.40%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.38 UGX 1,567

381.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.26 UGX 1,056

430.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.21 UGX 4,976

152.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$1.89 UGX 7,784

191.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.76 UGX 3,115

90.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.94 UGX 3,877

151.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.31 UGX 5,387

28.24%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.63 UGX 6,686

75.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$4.43 UGX 18.2K

130.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.65 UGX 19.1K

104.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$4.96 UGX 20.4K

183.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.16 UGX 8,874

88.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.31 UGX 5,375

14.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.28 UGX 5,269

69.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.23 UGX 5,063

87.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.20 UGX 4,948

60.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.22 UGX 5,034

34.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.80 UGX 3,299

41.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.49 UGX 2,010

155.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.46 UGX 10.1K

62.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$7.60 UGX 31.3K

75.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.08 UGX 4,427

57.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.90 UGX 7,811

24.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.49 UGX 2,000

169.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.30 UGX 1,221

613.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$3.02 UGX 12.4K

180.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.44 UGX 5,925

-9.72%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$7,427 UGX 30.5M

276.88%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$7,552 UGX 31.1M

368.96%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$70.5 UGX 289.8K

144.24%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$11.53 UGX 47.4K

15.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$35.28 UGX 145.1K

-18.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$7.39 UGX 30.4K

-15.02%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$256 UGX 1.1M

200.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$8,249 UGX 33.9M

9.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$14.17 UGX 58.3K

509.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$12.80 UGX 52.7K

346.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$31.82 UGX 130.9K

329.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$43.15 UGX 177.5K

126.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kapchorwa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Kapchorwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Kapchorwa

$150 36.2% 49.2% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Kapchorwa

$117 28.4% 45.3% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Kapchorwa

$46 11.1% 73% $124

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Kapchorwa

$84 20.3% 50.2% $85

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Kapchorwa

$2 * 0.5% 97.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Kapchorwa

$15 * 3.6% 74.4% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Kapchorwa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $150 – making Kapchorwa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇬 Kapchorwa

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

04:38 4:38 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

51,200

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Kapchorwa 12,200 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kapchorwa

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 Kapchorwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 291%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $620 in Kapchorwa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $413 in Kapchorwa. That's a gap of about 291%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $256 in Kapchorwa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kapchorwa, where all-in costs run around $413, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Kapchorwa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kapchorwa – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kapchorwa. 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.