Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busia, Uganda and Lugazi

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $67.7 a month against $389 in Lugazi, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Lugazi
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Lugazi Living Index

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Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$67.7

/mo nomad

Lugazi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busia and in Lugazi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $68 in Busia versus $389 in Lugazi.

Busia $68
Lugazi $389

Estimated couple costs with rent: $112 in Busia versus $614 in Lugazi.

Busia $112
Lugazi $614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $155 in Busia versus $838 in Lugazi.

Busia $155
Lugazi $838

Living in Busia costs roughly 83% less than in Lugazi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Busia 95% lower, Lugazi 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.40 UGX 10.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.97 UGX 96.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 UGX 29.8K

Cappuccino

$2.39 UGX 10.1K

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

$0.33 UGX 1,409

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,010

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 UGX 4,795

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 UGX 7,479

Milk (1 liter)

$0.27 UGX 1,131

$0.80 UGX 3,365

-66.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 UGX 4,867

$0.79 UGX 3,338

45.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,214

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,831

$1.35 UGX 5,703

2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.04 UGX 17.0K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 UGX 17.6K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.60 UGX 15.2K

$4.52 UGX 19.1K

-20.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 UGX 9,631

$1.99 UGX 8,374

14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 UGX 5,651

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,266

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 UGX 2,894

$1.23 UGX 5,201

-43.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 UGX 4,787

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 UGX 6,055

$1.25 UGX 5,276

15.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 UGX 2,958

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,013

$0.50 UGX 2,093

-52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.03 UGX 4,352

$2.37 UGX 10.0K

-56.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 UGX 20.2K

$7.05 UGX 29.7K

-32.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 UGX 3,875

$1.01 UGX 4,278

-8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 UGX 5,013

$1.83 UGX 7,725

-34.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 UGX 1,921

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,278

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 UGX 12.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 UGX 5,757

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

$6,887 UGX 29.0M

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

$7,149 UGX 30.2M

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

$65.4 UGX 275.9K

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

$11.16 UGX 47.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.67 UGX 137.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.85 UGX 28.9K

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

$268 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K UGX 68.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 UGX 55.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.49 UGX 52.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.97 UGX 130.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.40 UGX 174.6K

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 Busia: October 31, 2026

Last update for Lugazi: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busia

–

Lugazi

$139 35.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busia

–

Lugazi

$109 28.1%

Eating Out

Busia

–

Lugazi

$81 20.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Busia

–

Lugazi

$44 11.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Busia

–

Lugazi

$14 * 3.5%

Getting Around

Busia

–

Lugazi

$2 * 0.5%

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Busia

🇺🇬 Lugazi

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

Same time as Busia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,900

128,400

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Busia Lugazi 130 km

From you

Busia
Lugazi

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

Busia vs Lugazi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Lugazi. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $102 in Busia and $583 in Lugazi 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Lugazi. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $68 per month in Busia versus $389 in Lugazi – Busia is about 83% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Busia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.