Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busia, Uganda and Mbarara

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $69.4 a month against $488 in Mbarara, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mbarara
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Mbarara Living Index

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Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$69.4

/mo nomad

Mbarara

🇺🇬 Uganda

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busia and in Mbarara

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 Mbarara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $69 in Busia versus $488 in Mbarara.

Busia $69
Mbarara $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $114 in Busia versus $776 in Mbarara.

Busia $114
Mbarara $776

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $159 in Busia versus $1,063 in Mbarara.

Busia $159
Mbarara $1,063

Living in Busia costs roughly 86% less than in Mbarara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Busia 95% lower, Mbarara 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 UGX 10.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 UGX 107.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 UGX 31.0K

Cappuccino

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

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

$0.34 UGX 1,502

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 UGX 1,190

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 UGX 5,332

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 UGX 8,018

Milk (1 liter)

$0.30 UGX 1,330

$0.50 UGX 2,177

-40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 UGX 5,385

$0.93 UGX 4,083

32.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 UGX 5,130

Eggs

$1.43 UGX 6,242

$1.53 UGX 6,682

-6.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.23 UGX 18.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 UGX 19.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.56 UGX 15.6K

$3.46 UGX 15.1K

2.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 UGX 10.3K

$2.00 UGX 8,780

17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,434

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,706

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 UGX 3,002

$1.19 UGX 5,199

-42.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 UGX 5,389

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 UGX 6,169

$1.17 UGX 5,125

20.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 UGX 3,158

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 UGX 1,001

$0.51 UGX 2,218

-54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.11 UGX 4,868

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

-54.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.93 UGX 21.6K

$7.39 UGX 32.4K

-33.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 UGX 4,148

$1.08 UGX 4,730

-12.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 UGX 5,148

$1.81 UGX 7,949

-34.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 UGX 3,056

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 UGX 2,035

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,266

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 UGX 13.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 UGX 5,981

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

$7,154 UGX 31.3M

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

$7,202 UGX 31.5M

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

$69.2 UGX 302.9K

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

$11.20 UGX 49.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.55 UGX 146.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.82 UGX 78.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 UGX 31.3K

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

$247 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,140 UGX 35.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.66 UGX 59.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.69 UGX 55.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.67 UGX 138.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.04 UGX 184.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$83.7 UGX 366.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.0 UGX 319.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 UGX 1.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 UGX 749.8K

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 Busia: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mbarara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busia

–

Mbarara

$138 28.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busia

–

Mbarara

$114 23.3%

Eating Out

Busia

–

Mbarara

$81 16.7%

Accommodation & Living

Busia

–

Mbarara

$73 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Busia

–

Mbarara

$45 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Busia

–

Mbarara

$32 6.6%

Getting Around

Busia

–

Mbarara

$4.7 * 1%

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Busia

🇺🇬 Mbarara

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

Same time as Busia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,900

195,013

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Busia Mbarara 400 km

From you

Busia
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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 Mbarara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in Mbarara. 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 $104 in Busia and $732 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Mbarara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $69 per month in Busia versus $488 in Mbarara – Busia is about 86% 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.