Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busembatya and Gulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $110 a month against $391 in Busembatya, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Busembatya
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Busembatya Living Index

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Busembatya

🇺🇬 Uganda

$391

/mo nomad

Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busembatya and in Gulu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $391 in Busembatya versus $110 in Gulu.

Busembatya $391
Gulu $110

Estimated couple costs with rent: $618 in Busembatya versus $160 in Gulu.

Busembatya $618
Gulu $160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $845 in Busembatya versus $211 in Gulu.

Busembatya $845
Gulu $211

Living in Busembatya is roughly 257% more expensive than in Gulu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Busembatya 71% lower, Gulu 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.39 UGX 10.1K

$1.15 UGX 4,864

107.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.66 UGX 99.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 UGX 29.3K

$10.45 UGX 44.1K

-33.40%

Cappuccino

$2.37 UGX 9,995

$2.29 UGX 9,676

3.49%

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

$0.33 UGX 1,407

$0.24 UGX 1,018

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 UGX 1,100

$0.14 UGX 576

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 UGX 4,833

$0.68 UGX 2,889

69.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UGX 7,227

$2.30 UGX 9,701

-25.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,209

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 UGX 3,382

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 UGX 5,116

Eggs

$1.37 UGX 5,796

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 UGX 17.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 UGX 17.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.69 UGX 19.8K

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 UGX 8,262

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 UGX 5,966

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,234

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,215

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 UGX 4,890

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,277

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 UGX 2,978

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,121

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,711

Wine (Bottle)

$7.04 UGX 29.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,524

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 UGX 3,885

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.25 UGX 119.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,078

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,283

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 UGX 12.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 UGX 5,654

$1.20 UGX 5,055

11.67%

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

$7,067 UGX 29.8M

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

$7,089 UGX 29.9M

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

$67.3 UGX 284.0K

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

$11.11 UGX 46.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.95 UGX 139.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 UGX 29.4K

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

$267 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K UGX 66.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.99 UGX 54.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.06 UGX 50.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.48 UGX 128.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.93 UGX 176.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

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

Last update for Busembatya: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gulu: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busembatya

$140 35.9%

Gulu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busembatya

$111 28.5%

Gulu

–

Eating Out

Busembatya

$80 20.4%

Gulu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Busembatya

$44 11.2%

Gulu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Busembatya

$14 * 3.6%

Gulu

–

Getting Around

Busembatya

$2 * 0.5%

Gulu

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Busembatya

🇺🇬 Gulu

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Busembatya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,889

152,276

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Busembatya Gulu 270 km

From you

Busembatya
Gulu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Busembatya vs Gulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $391 in Busembatya and $110 in Gulu, so Gulu is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $587 in Busembatya and $164 in Gulu 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.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Gulu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.