Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lira

For one person, living is cheaper in Lira: $389 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Lira
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Lira Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Lira

🇺🇬 Uganda

$389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lira

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $389 in Lira, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Lira $389

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $614 in Lira, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Lira $614

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $839 in Lira, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Lira $839

Medellin costs about 335% more than Lira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Lira is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$2.32 UGX 9,929

259.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$23.02 UGX 98.4K

102.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$7.13 UGX 30.5K

32.82%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$2.41 UGX 10.3K

29.88%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.24 UGX 1,030

637.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.22 UGX 939

545.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.71 UGX 3,038

343.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$1.72 UGX 7,336

231.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$0.76 UGX 3,234

101.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$0.84 UGX 3,605

172.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$1.24 UGX 5,282

56.45%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$1.38 UGX 5,884

122.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$4.04 UGX 17.3K

147.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$4.35 UGX 18.6K

140.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$4.71 UGX 20.1K

196.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.02 UGX 8,627

100.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.35 UGX 5,754

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$1.21 UGX 5,188

73.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$1.18 UGX 5,042

94.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$1.20 UGX 5,118

75.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$1.20 UGX 5,112

42.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$0.70 UGX 2,976

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.50 UGX 2,144

216.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.41 UGX 10.3K

62.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$7.17 UGX 30.6K

95.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$1.05 UGX 4,466

67.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$1.78 UGX 7,589

52.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$0.49 UGX 2,092

269.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.28 UGX 1,188

660.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$2.90 UGX 12.4K

180.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.42 UGX 6,054

-9.86%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$6,923 UGX 29.6M

397.47%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$7,095 UGX 30.3M

381.09%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$65.4 UGX 279.7K

171.59%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$10.94 UGX 46.8K

26.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$33.40 UGX 142.7K

-7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$7.12 UGX 30.4K

4.92%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$259 UGX 1.1M

205.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$15.6K UGX 66.7M

-21.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$12.99 UGX 55.5K

564.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$12.06 UGX 51.6K

391.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$30.89 UGX 132.0K

347.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$41.89 UGX 179.0K

135.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lira: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Lira

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Lira

$141 36.3% 54% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Lira

$110 28.2% 50.6% $113

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Lira

$78 20% 55% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Lira

$44 11.3% 74.4% $128

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Lira

$1.9 * 0.5% 98% $92

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Lira

$14 * 3.7% 75% $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 $47 in Medellin versus $23 in Lira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $141 – making Lira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇬 Lira

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

01:54 1:54 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

99,059

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.08 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4,273 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD). 1 EUR = 4,811 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Lira 12,020 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
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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 Lira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 335%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $583 in Lira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $389 in Lira. That makes Lira about 77% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $259 in Lira. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lira, where all-in costs run around $389, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Lira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $389 in Lira to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.