Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mpigi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mpigi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $441 in Mpigi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $684 in Mpigi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $927 in Mpigi, rent included.

Medellin costs about 272% more than Mpigi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Mpigi is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.68 UGX 10.4K

200.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$26.59 UGX 102.7K

81.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.61 UGX 29.4K

23.78%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.64 UGX 10.2K

11.36%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.42 UGX 1,630

342.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.28 UGX 1,071

421.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$1.35 UGX 5,213

137.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.83 UGX 7,074

212.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$0.79 UGX 3,038

82.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$0.97 UGX 3,745

147.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.34 UGX 5,172

26.87%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$1.51 UGX 5,843

91.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$4.63 UGX 17.9K

117.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.99 UGX 19.3K

99.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$5.24 UGX 20.2K

170.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.17 UGX 8,383

83.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.22 UGX 4,703

29.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.35 UGX 5,217

59.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.28 UGX 4,950

79.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.31 UGX 5,069

52.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.35 UGX 5,203

11.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$0.84 UGX 3,231

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.53 UGX 2,046

141.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.63 UGX 10.2K

46.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$8.10 UGX 31.3K

72.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$1.04 UGX 4,032

64.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$2.08 UGX 8,027

31.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$0.52 UGX 1,996

151.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.34 UGX 1,325

538.24%

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

$1.40 UGX 5,414

-2.86%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$7,943 UGX 30.7M

245.87%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$8,096 UGX 31.3M

351.33%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$73.9 UGX 285.3K

128.46%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$12.53 UGX 48.4K

8.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$36.93 UGX 142.7K

-23.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.06 UGX 31.2K

-17.49%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$266 UGX 1.0M

202.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$8,367 UGX 32.3M

9.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$14.98 UGX 57.9K

483.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$13.65 UGX 52.7K

334.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$34.60 UGX 133.7K

301.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$46.92 UGX 181.3K

117.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

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 Mpigi: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $27.00 in Mpigi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $155 – making Mpigi 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 Mpigi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 272%, 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 $662 in Mpigi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $27.00 in Mpigi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 93% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mpigi, where all-in costs run around $441, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Mpigi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mpigi – 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 Mpigi. 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.