Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Budapest and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $674 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
Learn more

Kampala Living Index

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Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Budapest vs $674 in Kampala, rent included.

Budapest $1,621
Kampala $674

A couple spends around $2,555 per month in Budapest vs $1,045 in Kampala, rent included.

Budapest $2,555
Kampala $1,045

A family of three spends $3,489 per month in Budapest vs $1,417 in Kampala, rent included.

Budapest $3,489
Kampala $1,417

Budapest costs about 141% more than Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Budapest sits 21% above the global median, while Kampala is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 Ft 4,551

$2.54 UGX 10.3K

450.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

$25.10 UGX 101.5K

140.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 Ft 3,241

$7.40 UGX 29.9K

34.59%

Cappuccino

$3.38 Ft 1,100

$2.57 UGX 10.4K

31.52%

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

$2.13 Ft 692

$0.38 UGX 1,543

460.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 Ft 608

$0.26 UGX 1,044

619.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 Ft 1,221

$1.21 UGX 4,910

209.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 Ft 1,162

$1.92 UGX 7,748

85.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 Ft 368

$0.76 UGX 3,069

48.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 Ft 599

$0.95 UGX 3,832

93.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 Ft 777

$1.33 UGX 5,360

79.70%

Eggs

$3.83 Ft 1,245

$1.64 UGX 6,631

133.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 Ft 3,686

$4.37 UGX 17.7K

159.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 Ft 2,192

$4.60 UGX 18.6K

46.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 Ft 4,780

$4.87 UGX 19.7K

201.64%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 597

$2.19 UGX 8,869

-15.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 Ft 653

$1.24 UGX 5,033

62.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 767

$1.30 UGX 5,253

81.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 Ft 1,226

$1.22 UGX 4,928

209.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 Ft 313

$1.21 UGX 4,912

-20.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 Ft 334

$1.25 UGX 5,061

-17.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 Ft 509

$0.78 UGX 3,168

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 Ft 216

$0.50 UGX 2,020

32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 Ft 2,591

$2.51 UGX 10.2K

217.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 Ft 1,954

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

-20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 Ft 421

$1.10 UGX 4,458

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 Ft 676

$1.95 UGX 7,880

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 Ft 489

$0.72 UGX 2,913

108.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,982

$42.82 UGX 173.2K

-35.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.30 Ft 1,074

$0.51 UGX 2,072

547.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 Ft 424

$0.32 UGX 1,297

306.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.78 Ft 6,436

$3.19 UGX 12.9K

520.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 Ft 591

$1.45 UGX 5,866

24.83%

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

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

$7,493 UGX 30.3M

291.42%

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

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

$7,453 UGX 30.1M

357.62%

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

$170 Ft 55.3K

$70.9 UGX 287.0K

139.55%

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

$23.98 Ft 7,802

$11.85 UGX 47.9K

102.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.42 Ft 7,621

$35.59 UGX 144.0K

-34.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

$56.9 UGX 230.2K

16.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 Ft 6,239

$5.97 UGX 24.1K

221.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 Ft 3,098

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

26.26%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

$254 UGX 1.0M

111.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

$8,231 UGX 33.3M

101.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 Ft 33.0K

$14.16 UGX 57.3K

615.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

$13.02 UGX 52.7K

230.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 Ft 36.7K

$32.01 UGX 129.5K

252.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 Ft 38.6K

$43.76 UGX 177.0K

171.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 Ft 262.0K

$495 UGX 2.0M

62.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 Ft 204.7K

$172 UGX 695.0K

266.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

$1,044 UGX 4.2M

48.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

$301 UGX 1.2M

288.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

$1,214 UGX 4.9M

362.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

$983 UGX 4.0M

303.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

$176 UGX 712.8K

822.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

20.75

-69.01%

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

Last update for Budapest: 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

Budapest

$629 38.7%

Kampala

$172 24.9% 72.7% $457

Groceries & Markets

Budapest

$258 15.8%

Kampala

$149 21.6% 42.1% $108

Eating Out

Budapest

$224 13.8%

Kampala

$86 12.4% 61.7% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Budapest

$217 13.4%

Kampala

$118 17.1% 45.5% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Budapest

$169 10.4%

Kampala

$46 6.7% 72.6% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Budapest

$85 5.2%

Kampala

$72 10.4% 15.6% $13

Getting Around

Budapest

$43 2.7%

Kampala

$48 6.9% 10.1% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Budapest versus $495 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 run about 823% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Budapest versus $25.00 in Kampala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $149 – making Kampala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇺 Budapest

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

08:15 8:15 AM

09:15 9:15 AM

1 h ahead of Budapest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,686,222 Capital

1,516,210 Capital

💱 Currency

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 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).

USD to HUF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Budapest Kampala 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Budapest
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

Budapest vs Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 141%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,432 per month in Budapest and $1,011 in Kampala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kampala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Kampala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Budapest and $254 in Kampala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kampala, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Kampala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kampala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kampala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.