Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $674 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
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Kampala Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kampala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Kampala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $674 in Kampala.

Austin, TX $2,704
Kampala $674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,045 in Kampala.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kampala $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,417 in Kampala.

Austin, TX $5,562
Kampala $1,417

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 301% more expensive than in Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Kampala is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$2.54 UGX 10.3K

696.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$25.10 UGX 101.5K

238.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.40 UGX 29.9K

66.89%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.57 UGX 10.4K

112.84%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.38 UGX 1,543

905.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.26 UGX 1,044

861.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.21 UGX 4,910

566.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.92 UGX 7,748

368.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.76 UGX 3,069

48.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.95 UGX 3,832

297.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.33 UGX 5,360

144.36%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.64 UGX 6,631

152.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$4.37 UGX 17.7K

199.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.60 UGX 18.6K

211.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$4.87 UGX 19.7K

227.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.19 UGX 8,869

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.24 UGX 5,033

16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.30 UGX 5,253

249.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.22 UGX 4,928

243.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.21 UGX 4,912

117.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.25 UGX 5,061

88.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.78 UGX 3,168

125.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.50 UGX 2,020

332.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.51 UGX 10.2K

290.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

95.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.10 UGX 4,458

152.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.95 UGX 7,880

78.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.72 UGX 2,913

106.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$42.82 UGX 173.2K

-5.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.51 UGX 2,072

423.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.32 UGX 1,297

393.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.19 UGX 12.9K

1006.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 UGX 5,866

-31.72%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$7,493 UGX 30.3M

377.85%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$7,453 UGX 30.1M

264.61%

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

$219 $219

$70.9 UGX 287.0K

209.09%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$11.85 UGX 47.9K

389.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$35.59 UGX 144.0K

92.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$56.9 UGX 230.2K

1.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$5.97 UGX 24.1K

148.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

87.40%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$254 UGX 1.0M

495.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,231 UGX 33.3M

160.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$14.16 UGX 57.3K

264.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$13.02 UGX 52.7K

238.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$32.01 UGX 129.5K

165.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$43.76 UGX 177.0K

140.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$495 UGX 2.0M

290.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$172 UGX 695.0K

640.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,044 UGX 4.2M

251.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$301 UGX 1.2M

740.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,214 UGX 4.9M

527.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$983 UGX 4.0M

225.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$176 UGX 712.8K

2796.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

20.75

-67.28%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Kampala: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Kampala

$172 24.9% 86.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Kampala

$149 21.6% 63% $254

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Kampala

$86 12.4% 75.3% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Kampala

$118 17.1% 65.7% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Kampala

$46 6.7% 64% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Kampala

$72 10.4% 16.4% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Kampala

$48 6.9% 16.1% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $495 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2797% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $25.00 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $149 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

11:19 11:19 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,516,210 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,537 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR).

UGX to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kampala 13,760 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kampala

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

Austin, TX vs Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala wins on cost – living expenses run 301% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kampala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2797% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $495 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $674 in Kampala – a 301% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kampala runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $674 in Kampala versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kampala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 301% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.