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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $531 in Mbarara, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $867 in Mbarara, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,202 in Mbarara, rent included.

Medellin costs about 95% more than Mbarara, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Mbarara are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Mbarara 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$2.83 UGX 10.5K

109.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$26.19 UGX 97.1K

25.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$8.65 UGX 32.1K

-16.76%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.82 UGX 10.5K

-39.72%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.48 UGX 1,773

129.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.29 UGX 1,075

148.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.40 UGX 5,198

19.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.81 UGX 10.4K

10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.53 UGX 1,981

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.20 UGX 4,461

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.34 UGX 4,964

3.73%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.77 UGX 6,560

27.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.26 UGX 15.8K

1.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.96 UGX 18.4K

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$3.94 UGX 14.6K

124.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.69 UGX 9,967

-16.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.54 UGX 5,723

-29.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.73 UGX 6,397

-11.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.54 UGX 5,726

-11.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.64 UGX 6,083

-31.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.91 UGX 7,091

-41.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.07 UGX 3,967

-20.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.55 UGX 2,025

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.93 UGX 10.9K

-20.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$9.22 UGX 34.2K

20.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.20 UGX 4,444

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.06 UGX 7,651

15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.84 UGX 3,129

-5.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.54 UGX 1,992

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.26 UGX 959

634.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.13 UGX 15.3K

94.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.45 UGX 5,362

-35.17%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$9,122 UGX 33.8M

96.46%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$8,717 UGX 32.3M

207.34%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$42.29 UGX 156.8K

98.53%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$14.37 UGX 53.3K

-33.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$43.51 UGX 161.3K

-44.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$20.49 UGX 76.0K

26.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.17 UGX 22.9K

-36.47%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$162 UGX 601.4K

88.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,304 UGX 16.0M

37.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$17.28 UGX 64.1K

235.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$14.02 UGX 52.0K

126.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$39.08 UGX 144.9K

155.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$46.50 UGX 172.4K

130.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$95.5 UGX 354.0K

409.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$83.9 UGX 311.0K

338.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$266 UGX 986.5K

210.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$192 UGX 711.7K

273.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

20.8

-35.43%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mbarara: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $95.5 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Mbarara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $165 – 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 95%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $797 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 $33.00 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 15% 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 $531, than in Medellin at $1,034. 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.