Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Portal and Busia, Uganda

Name: Busia
Address: Busia, UG

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $67.7 a month against $364 in Fort Portal, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Fort Portal
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Fort Portal Living Index

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Fort Portal

🇺🇬 Uganda

$364

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$67.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fort Portal and in Busia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $364 in Fort Portal versus $68 in Busia.

Fort Portal $364
Busia $68

Estimated couple costs with rent: $574 in Fort Portal versus $112 in Busia.

Fort Portal $574
Busia $112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $783 in Fort Portal versus $155 in Busia.

Fort Portal $783
Busia $155

Living in Fort Portal is roughly 438% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fort Portal 73% lower, Busia 95% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 UGX 9,990

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.66 UGX 99.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 UGX 29.2K

Cappuccino

$2.46 UGX 10.4K

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

$0.37 UGX 1,545

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,004

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 UGX 5,049

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 UGX 7,235

Milk (1 liter)

$0.27 UGX 1,126

$0.27 UGX 1,131

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 UGX 2,850

$1.15 UGX 4,867

-40.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 UGX 3,795

Eggs

$1.15 UGX 4,835

$1.38 UGX 5,831

-16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 UGX 17.5K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.12 UGX 13.2K

$3.60 UGX 15.2K

-13.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 UGX 8,246

$2.28 UGX 9,631

-14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.71 UGX 2,996

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,052

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 UGX 4,786

$0.69 UGX 2,894

63.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,075

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 UGX 2,386

$1.44 UGX 6,055

-60.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 UGX 3,081

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 UGX 2,046

$0.24 UGX 1,013

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,700

$1.03 UGX 4,352

123.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.57 UGX 19.3K

$4.79 UGX 20.2K

-4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 UGX 2,848

$0.92 UGX 3,875

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 UGX 3,914

$1.19 UGX 5,013

-21.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,065

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 UGX 1,165

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 UGX 12.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 UGX 4,905

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

$6,927 UGX 29.2M

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

$6,921 UGX 29.2M

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

$66.9 UGX 282.2K

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

$11.00 UGX 46.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.84 UGX 138.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 UGX 30.2K

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

$267 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K UGX 67.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.23 UGX 55.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.29 UGX 51.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.84 UGX 130.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.94 UGX 172.7K

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 Fort Portal: November 3, 2026

Last update for Busia: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Fort Portal

$112 30.9%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Portal

$111 30.4%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Fort Portal

$81 22.3%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Portal

$44 12%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Portal

$14 * 3.9%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Fort Portal

$1.9 * 0.5%

Busia

–

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Fort Portal

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

09:34 9:34 AM

Same time as Fort Portal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,275

64,900

💱 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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Fort Portal
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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

Fort Portal vs Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Fort Portal. 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 $546 in Fort Portal and $102 in Busia 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 66% higher in Fort Portal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $364 per month in Fort Portal versus $68 in Busia – Busia is about 81% 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.