Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mpigi

For one person, living is cheaper in Mpigi: $403 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Mpigi, Uganda
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Mpigi
🇺🇬 Uganda
$403
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mpigi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $403 in Mpigi, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Mpigi $403

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $635 in Mpigi, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Mpigi $635

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $867 in Mpigi, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Mpigi $867

Medellin costs about 307% more than Mpigi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Mpigi is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.6K
$2.45 UGX 10.7K
230.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.9K
$24.04 UGX 105.3K
95.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$7.10 UGX 31.1K
33.80%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,540
$2.53 UGX 11.1K
18.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,693
$0.35 UGX 1,515
414.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,469
$0.27 UGX 1,191
422.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.0K
$1.22 UGX 5,364
160.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.2K
$1.82 UGX 7,978
215.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,778
$0.77 UGX 3,361
96.10%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,524
$0.92 UGX 4,048
158.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,606
$1.28 UGX 5,598
38.28%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,146
$1.53 UGX 6,692
88.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.2K
$4.31 UGX 18.9K
136.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.2K
$4.33 UGX 19.0K
127.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.3K
$4.75 UGX 20.8K
194.53%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.6K
$2.07 UGX 9,071
91.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,911
$1.25 UGX 5,486
24.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,907
$1.25 UGX 5,476
74.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,910
$1.13 UGX 4,958
92.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,210
$1.24 UGX 5,412
58.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,029
$1.18 UGX 5,161
34.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,625
$0.77 UGX 3,391
49.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,934
$0.48 UGX 2,087
158.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$2.43 UGX 10.6K
62.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.3K
$7.25 UGX 31.7K
88.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,252
$1.08 UGX 4,711
53.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,145
$1.89 UGX 8,281
19.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,696
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 244.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,013
$0.47 UGX 2,045
170.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,480
$0.31 UGX 1,365
561.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.1K
$3.09 UGX 13.5K
176.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,262
$1.39 UGX 6,090
-2.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.8M
$7,087 UGX 31.0M
380.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.7M
$7,321 UGX 32.1M
373.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 536.8K
$68.4 UGX 299.8K
147.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.9K
$11.34 UGX 49.7K
19.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.8K
$34.15 UGX 149.6K
-17.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 138.3K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.9K
$7.09 UGX 31.1K
-2.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$245 UGX 1.1M
225.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.8M
$8,034 UGX 35.2M
13.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 268.1K
$13.30 UGX 58.3K
536.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 183.4K
$12.83 UGX 56.2K
351.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 427.1K
$31.10 UGX 136.2K
333.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 309.7K
$42.58 UGX 186.5K
129.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Mpigi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mpigi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Mpigi
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Mpigi
$144 51.5% $153
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Mpigi
$114 46.1% $97
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Mpigi
$83 50.8% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Mpigi
$45 73.4% $124
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Mpigi
$2 * 97.8% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Mpigi
$14 * 75.4% $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 $24 in Mpigi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $144 – making Mpigi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇺🇬 Mpigi
🕒 Local time
00:05 12:05 AM
08:05 8:05 AM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
49,500
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4,380 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD). 1 EUR = 4,876 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Mpigi 11,990 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Mpigi

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 Mpigi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mpigi cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 307%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $604 in Mpigi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Mpigi?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $24 in Mpigi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Mpigi?
Groceries cost about 106% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Mpigi?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mpigi, where all-in costs run around $403, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Mpigi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Mpigi?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $403 in Mpigi to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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