Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mbarara Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mbarara

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $521 in Mbarara, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $826 in Mbarara, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,131 in Mbarara, rent included.

Medellin costs about 215% more than Mbarara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Mbarara is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.71 UGX 10.5K

196.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$26.08 UGX 100.8K

85.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.76 UGX 30.0K

21.39%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.60 UGX 10.1K

13.08%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.40 UGX 1,540

365.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.28 UGX 1,068

421.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$1.34 UGX 5,172

139.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.89 UGX 7,298

202.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$0.52 UGX 1,990

176.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$0.95 UGX 3,684

152.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.34 UGX 5,169

26.87%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$1.59 UGX 6,159

81.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$4.84 UGX 18.7K

107.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.90 UGX 18.9K

103.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$3.75 UGX 14.5K

278.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.10 UGX 8,110

89.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.16 UGX 4,469

36.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.40 UGX 5,392

53.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.28 UGX 4,957

79.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.25 UGX 4,826

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.36 UGX 5,253

11.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$0.78 UGX 3,011

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.55 UGX 2,142

132.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.64 UGX 10.2K

45.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$7.75 UGX 29.9K

80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.08 UGX 4,155

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$2.03 UGX 7,838

34.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.77 UGX 2,980

62.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$0.52 UGX 1,991

151.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.32 UGX 1,224

578.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.34 UGX 12.9K

148.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.46 UGX 5,652

-6.85%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$7,861 UGX 30.4M

249.48%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$7,888 UGX 30.5M

363.18%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$73.9 UGX 285.5K

128.31%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$12.57 UGX 48.6K

7.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$37.93 UGX 146.6K

-25.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$20.17 UGX 77.9K

126.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.78 UGX 30.1K

-14.52%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$260 UGX 1.0M

208.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,382 UGX 32.4M

9.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$14.65 UGX 56.6K

496.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$13.84 UGX 53.5K

328.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$34.21 UGX 132.2K

306.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$46.35 UGX 179.1K

120.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$93.6 UGX 361.8K

1043.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$78.3 UGX 302.6K

733.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$252 UGX 975.0K

662.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$189 UGX 728.4K

455.84%

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 Mbarara: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $93.6 in Mbarara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Mbarara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $147 – making Mbarara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mbarara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 215%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $781 in Mbarara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbarara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in Mbarara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 104% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mbarara, where all-in costs run around $521, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Mbarara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Mbarara. 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.