Cost of Living Comparison Between Busia and Mbarara Cost of Living Comparison Between Busia and Mbarara

🙂 Solo nomad: Busia is 81% cheaper than Mbarara without rent, and 84.9% cheaper with rent.
🙂 Family of 3: Busia is 77.3% cheaper than Mbarara without rent, and 84.9% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$2.80 UGX 10.2K
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$26.35 UGX 95.7K
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$8.86 UGX 32.2K
-
Cappuccino
-
$2.72 UGX 9,896
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.47 UGX 1,719
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.31 UGX 1,137
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.43 UGX 5,190
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.80 UGX 10.2K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.35 UGX 1,258
$0.57 UGX 2,071
-38.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.41 UGX 5,109
$1.26 UGX 4,572
11.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.33 UGX 4,846
-
Eggs
$1.71 UGX 6,214
$1.84 UGX 6,696
-7.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$4.26 UGX 15.5K
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$5.05 UGX 18.3K
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.11 UGX 14.9K
$3.84 UGX 13.9K
7.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 UGX 9,990
$2.73 UGX 9,933
0.73%
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.46 UGX 5,319
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$1.73 UGX 6,268
-
Tomato (1kg)
$0.84 UGX 3,059
$1.59 UGX 5,768
-47.17%
Potato (1kg)
-
$1.65 UGX 6,005
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 UGX 5,939
$1.86 UGX 6,755
-11.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.05 UGX 3,827
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.29 UGX 1,062
$0.57 UGX 2,080
-49.12%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.28 UGX 4,642
$2.90 UGX 10.5K
-55.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.39 UGX 19.6K
$9.73 UGX 35.3K
-44.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 UGX 4,125
$1.24 UGX 4,489
-8.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 UGX 4,952
$2.06 UGX 7,498
-33.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.85 UGX 3,081
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.53 UGX 1,936
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.26 UGX 941
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$4.11 UGX 14.9K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.51 UGX 5,469
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$9,164 UGX 33.3M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$8,804 UGX 32.0M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$42.68 UGX 155.1K
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$14.15 UGX 51.4K
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$44.68 UGX 162.3K
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$20.81 UGX 75.6K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$6.10 UGX 22.1K
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$158 UGX 573.5K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$4,397 UGX 16.0M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$17.19 UGX 62.4K
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$14.30 UGX 52.0K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$38.92 UGX 141.4K
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$46.31 UGX 168.2K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$97.4 UGX 354.0K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$83.2 UGX 302.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$259 UGX 942.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$194 UGX 704.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Busia
Mbarara
Difference
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
20.8
-

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

Last update for Busia: March 2, 2026

Last update for Mbarara: March 2, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities