Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mbarara Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mbarara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $544 in Mbarara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $871 in Mbarara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $1,198 in Mbarara.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 330% more expensive than Mbarara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Mbarara is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$2.75 UGX 10.3K

521.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$26.49 UGX 99.3K

161.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$8.79 UGX 33.0K

56.77%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$2.83 UGX 10.6K

-2.47%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.47 UGX 1,754

493.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.31 UGX 1,177

541.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.40 UGX 5,256

211.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$2.72 UGX 10.2K

74.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.53 UGX 1,996

143.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.21 UGX 4,543

69.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.40 UGX 5,247

42.14%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.81 UGX 6,793

87.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$4.25 UGX 15.9K

342.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$5.05 UGX 18.9K

85.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$3.99 UGX 15.0K

379.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.70 UGX 10.1K

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.48 UGX 5,556

58.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.74 UGX 6,532

21.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$1.52 UGX 5,683

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.62 UGX 6,078

21.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.92 UGX 7,192

-6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.07 UGX 4,004

35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.58 UGX 2,177

48.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$2.89 UGX 10.8K

134.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$8.76 UGX 32.8K

-9.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.25 UGX 4,671

11.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.03 UGX 7,626

16.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.80 UGX 3,016

265.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$0.58 UGX 2,166

668.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.26 UGX 963

688.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$4.27 UGX 16.0K

592.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$1.50 UGX 5,604

21.33%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$8,971 UGX 33.6M

332.81%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$8,729 UGX 32.7M

279.21%

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

$189 €163

$42.35 UGX 158.7K

346.82%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$14.64 UGX 54.9K

55.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$43.46 UGX 162.9K

-13.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$20.99 UGX 78.7K

175.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$6.32 UGX 23.7K

71.20%

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

$728 €628

$163 UGX 611.3K

346.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$4,250 UGX 15.9M

247.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$17.01 UGX 63.8K

421.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$14.22 UGX 53.3K

159.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$38.82 UGX 145.5K

162.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$47.37 UGX 177.5K

145.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$99.1 UGX 371.5K

1482.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$82.1 UGX 307.7K

1383.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$266 UGX 998.3K

949.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$191 UGX 717.3K

932.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

20.8

-83.70%

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

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mbarara: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $99.1 in Mbarara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $26.00 in Mbarara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $165 per month, with Mbarara cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Mbarara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mbarara differ by about 330% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $544 including rent). Mbarara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $816 in Mbarara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $99.1 in Mbarara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $163 in Mbarara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mbarara – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $544 in Mbarara versus $2,337 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mbarara but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mbarara 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Mbarara are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mbarara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 330% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.