Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Masindi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Masindi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $430 in Masindi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $676 in Masindi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $922 in Masindi.

Living in Medellin is roughly 291% more expensive than in Masindi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Masindi is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$2.60 UGX 10.3K

208.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$26.44 UGX 104.1K

81.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$7.75 UGX 30.5K

27.61%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.56 UGX 10.1K

22.27%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.39 UGX 1,544

389.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.28 UGX 1,099

439.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.30 UGX 5,117

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$1.86 UGX 7,340

209.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$0.84 UGX 3,308

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.01 UGX 3,964

146.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.39 UGX 5,488

27.34%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.57 UGX 6,164

88.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$4.78 UGX 18.8K

110.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.05 UGX 19.9K

100.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$5.36 UGX 21.1K

166.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.17 UGX 8,557

90.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.21 UGX 4,782

33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.35 UGX 5,322

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.29 UGX 5,079

74.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.27 UGX 4,988

60.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.38 UGX 5,447

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.84 UGX 3,295

39.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.53 UGX 2,078

147.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.58 UGX 10.2K

51.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$8.04 UGX 31.7K

74.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.04 UGX 4,078

67.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.01 UGX 7,896

42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.56 UGX 2,189

133.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.35 UGX 1,359

525.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$3.34 UGX 13.2K

160.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.43 UGX 5,625

-4.20%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$8,082 UGX 31.8M

244.40%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$7,900 UGX 31.1M

352.83%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$75.6 UGX 297.5K

134.68%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$12.27 UGX 48.3K

13.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$36.64 UGX 144.3K

-18.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$8.00 UGX 31.5K

-16.87%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$259 UGX 1.0M

213.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$8,447 UGX 33.3M

8.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$14.69 UGX 57.8K

509.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$14.12 UGX 55.6K

317.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$33.72 UGX 132.8K

309.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$47.15 UGX 185.7K

116.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

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 14, 2026

Last update for Masindi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Masindi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $157 per month, with Masindi 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 Masindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masindi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 291% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $645 in Masindi 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $430 in Masindi – a 291% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $430 in Masindi versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masindi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Masindi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Masindi 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 Masindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 291% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.