Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bansko and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $643 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bansko, Bulgaria
Kampala, Uganda
Bansko
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
$968
/mo nomad
Kampala
🇺🇬 Uganda
$643
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bansko 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 Bansko and in Kampala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $968 per month in Bansko vs $643 in Kampala, rent included.

  • Bansko $968
  • Kampala $643

A couple spends around $1,479 per month in Bansko vs $981 in Kampala, rent included.

  • Bansko $1,479
  • Kampala $981

A family of three spends $1,989 per month in Bansko vs $1,320 in Kampala, rent included.

  • Bansko $1,989
  • Kampala $1,320

Bansko costs about 51% more than Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bansko and Kampala are more affordable than the global median – Bansko 28% lower, Kampala 52% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.83 BGN 15.37
$2.36 UGX 9,965
274.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.43 BGN 79.1
$23.23 UGX 98.0K
95.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.92 BGN 15.52
$7.17 UGX 30.2K
24.41%
Cappuccino
$2.33 BGN 4.06
$2.49 UGX 10.5K
-6.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 BGN 2.60
$0.37 UGX 1,548
302.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 BGN 1.44
$0.24 UGX 1,011
245.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.75 BGN 3.05
$1.18 UGX 4,983
48.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 BGN 3.49
$1.78 UGX 7,523
12.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 BGN 3.00
$0.76 UGX 3,226
126.32%
White Bread (500g)
$0.86 BGN 1.49
$0.86 UGX 3,624
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.46 BGN 2.55
$1.26 UGX 5,319
15.87%
Eggs
$2.33 BGN 4.06
$1.38 UGX 5,807
68.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.54 BGN 16.60
$4.11 UGX 17.4K
132.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.30 BGN 10.96
$4.12 UGX 17.4K
52.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.64 BGN 15.04
$4.62 UGX 19.5K
87.01%
Apples (1kg)
$1.32 BGN 2.29
$2.06 UGX 8,668
-35.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 BGN 2.86
$1.40 UGX 5,912
17.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.74 BGN 3.02
$1.25 UGX 5,264
39.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.94 BGN 3.38
$1.20 UGX 5,061
61.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 BGN 1.66
$1.20 UGX 5,045
-20.83%
Onion (1kg)
$0.72 BGN 1.26
$1.24 UGX 5,229
-41.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.55 BGN 0.96
$0.71 UGX 2,984
-22.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 BGN 1.03
$0.50 UGX 2,094
18.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.33 BGN 5.79
$2.30 UGX 9,704
44.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.08 BGN 8.84
$7.19 UGX 30.3K
-29.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 BGN 1.95
$1.01 UGX 4,254
10.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 BGN 3.01
$1.84 UGX 7,762
-5.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.89 BGN 1.55
$0.72 UGX 3,049
23.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.08 BGN 47.11
$37.73 UGX 159.1K
-28.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 BGN 2.85
$0.49 UGX 2,058
234.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.91 BGN 1.59
$0.30 UGX 1,276
203.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.00 BGN 17.39
$2.94 UGX 12.4K
240.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 BGN 2.61
$1.41 UGX 5,962
6.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K BGN 49.7K
$6,948 UGX 29.3M
311.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.2K BGN 36.9K
$7,038 UGX 29.7M
201.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.5 BGN 161
$64.9 UGX 273.7K
42.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.59 BGN 25.39
$11.26 UGX 47.5K
29.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.13 BGN 21.11
$33.28 UGX 140.3K
-63.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.84 BGN 55.4
$51.9 UGX 218.8K
-38.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.46 BGN 14.72
$5.66 UGX 23.9K
49.47%
Cinema Ticket
$5.51 BGN 9.59
$7.05 UGX 29.7K
-21.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$227 BGN 395
$262 UGX 1.1M
-13.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,311 BGN 4,021
$15.6K UGX 65.9M
-85.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.56 BGN 53.2
$13.27 UGX 56.0K
130.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.95 BGN 32.97
$12.05 UGX 50.8K
57.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$45.80 BGN 79.7
$30.16 UGX 127.2K
51.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.28 BGN 84.0
$41.28 UGX 174.1K
16.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$510 BGN 887
$460 UGX 1.9M
10.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$364 BGN 634
$158 UGX 665.9K
130.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$624 BGN 1,085
$1,198 UGX 5.1M
-47.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$566 BGN 985
$281 UGX 1.2M
101.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,166 BGN 2,028
$1,224 UGX 5.2M
-4.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$969 BGN 1,686
$938 UGX 4.0M
3.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bansko
Kampala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,680 BGN 2,923
$169 UGX 711.3K
896.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.99
20.75
-85.59%

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

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Last update for Kampala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bansko
$364
Kampala
$158 56.7% $206
Groceries & Markets
Bansko
$193
Kampala
$141 26.8% $52
Eating Out
Bansko
$147
Kampala
$82 44.3% $65
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bansko
$119
Kampala
$109 8.2% $9.8
Clothing & Footwear
Bansko
$65
Kampala
$44 32.6% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Bansko
$43
Kampala
$66 53.9% $23
Getting Around
Bansko
$37
Kampala
$43 15.7% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Bansko versus $460 in Kampala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bansko are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko versus $23 in Kampala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $141 – making Kampala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇬 Bansko
🇺🇬 Kampala
🕒 Local time
02:18 2:18 AM
03:18 3:18 AM
1 h ahead of Bansko
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
1,516,210 Capital
💱 Currency
Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.
Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to BGN – Bulgarian Lev Converter

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,217 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD). 1 EUR = 4,734 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bansko Kampala 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bansko
  • 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
Bansko vs Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bansko and in Kampala compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $968 in Bansko, $643 in Kampala – Kampala comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Bansko compared to Kampala?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,452 per month in Bansko and $964 in Kampala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bansko and Kampala?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kampala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $460 there versus $510 in Bansko.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Bansko and $23 in Kampala. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bansko or Kampala?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $968 in Bansko and $643 in Kampala. That makes Kampala about 34% cheaper.
How does quality of life compare between Bansko and Kampala?
It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $643 in Kampala to $968 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Bansko and Kampala?
If budget matters most, go with Kampala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bansko vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?