Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Busia, Uganda and Soroti

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $67.7 a month against $382 in Soroti, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Soroti
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Soroti Living Index

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Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$67.7

/mo nomad

Soroti

🇺🇬 Uganda

$382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Busia and in Soroti

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $68 in Busia versus $382 in Soroti.

Busia $68
Soroti $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $112 in Busia versus $600 in Soroti.

Busia $112
Soroti $600

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $155 in Busia versus $818 in Soroti.

Busia $155
Soroti $818

Living in Busia costs roughly 82% less than in Soroti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Busia 95% lower, Soroti 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 UGX 9,913

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.94 UGX 96.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 UGX 30.0K

Cappuccino

$2.47 UGX 10.4K

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

$0.36 UGX 1,521

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,002

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 UGX 5,005

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UGX 7,228

Milk (1 liter)

$0.27 UGX 1,131

$0.75 UGX 3,179

-64.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 UGX 4,867

$0.86 UGX 3,638

33.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 UGX 4,106

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,831

$1.41 UGX 5,947

-2.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.22 UGX 17.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 UGX 18.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.60 UGX 15.2K

$2.79 UGX 11.8K

29.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 UGX 9,631

$2.01 UGX 8,482

13.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 UGX 5,761

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,277

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 UGX 2,894

$0.68 UGX 2,868

1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 UGX 2,053

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 UGX 6,055

$1.20 UGX 5,041

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 UGX 2,919

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,013

$0.49 UGX 2,082

-51.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.03 UGX 4,352

$2.32 UGX 9,802

-55.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 UGX 20.2K

$7.19 UGX 30.3K

-33.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 UGX 3,875

$1.05 UGX 4,412

-12.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 UGX 5,013

$1.85 UGX 7,809

-35.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 UGX 2,026

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,275

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 UGX 12.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 UGX 5,885

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

$7,086 UGX 29.9M

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

$7,112 UGX 30.0M

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

$66.3 UGX 279.4K

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

$10.89 UGX 45.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.17 UGX 139.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 UGX 28.9K

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

$264 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K UGX 67.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.32 UGX 56.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.06 UGX 50.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.60 UGX 129.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.24 UGX 173.9K

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 Soroti: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Busia

–

Soroti

$131 34.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Busia

–

Soroti

$110 28.9%

Eating Out

Busia

–

Soroti

$82 21.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Busia

–

Soroti

$44 11.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Busia

–

Soroti

$14 * 3.6%

Getting Around

Busia

–

Soroti

$2 * 0.5%

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Busia

🇺🇬 Soroti

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

Same time as Busia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,900

60,900

💱 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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Between locations

Busia Soroti 150 km

From you

Busia
Soroti

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 Soroti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Soroti. 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 $573 in Soroti 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 93% higher in Soroti. 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 $382 in Soroti – Busia is about 82% 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.