Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gulu and Barcelona

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $113 a month against $2,381 in Barcelona, rent and utilities included – about $27,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Barcelona
Learn more

Barcelona Living Index

Jump to prices

Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$113

/mo nomad

Barcelona

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gulu and in Barcelona

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $113 in Gulu versus $2,381 in Barcelona.

Gulu $113
Barcelona $2,381

Estimated couple costs with rent: $165 in Gulu versus $3,406 in Barcelona.

Gulu $165
Barcelona $3,406

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $217 in Gulu versus $4,431 in Barcelona.

Gulu $217
Barcelona $4,431

Living in Gulu costs roughly 95% less than in Barcelona, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gulu is 92% below, Barcelona is 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.22 UGX 5,036

$17.89 €15.92

-93.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.2 €58.9

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 UGX 44.5K

$13.69 €12.18

-21.04%

Cappuccino

$2.38 UGX 9,787

$3.06 €2.72

-22.22%

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

$0.25 UGX 1,032

$3.07 €2.73

-91.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.11 UGX 452

$1.94 €1.73

-94.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 UGX 2,844

$3.87 €3.44

-82.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 UGX 10.2K

$4.61 €4.10

-46.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 €1.87

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 €1.62

Eggs

$4.62 €4.11

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 €15.44

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 €8.25

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.83 €17.64

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.68

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 €2.36

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.92

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.91

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €6.96

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.34

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 UGX 3,896

$2.91 €2.59

-67.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.33 UGX 116.5K

$25.46 €22.64

11.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 €2.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.20 €29.53

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 UGX 5,138

$1.86 €1.65

-32.80%

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

$32.3K €28.8K

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

$31.7K €28.2K

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

$183 €163

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

$13.61 €12.11

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 €29.29

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 €48.65

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 €14.70

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 €9.99

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

$954 €849

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K €14.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.0 €76.5

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €34.78

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,695 €1,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 €1,135

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,576 €2,291

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 €1,710

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,281 €6,477

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 €4,456

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,227 €1,981

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.28

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

Last update for Gulu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gulu

–

Barcelona

$1.3K 53.6%

Groceries & Markets

Gulu

–

Barcelona

$325 13.7%

Eating Out

Gulu

–

Barcelona

$270 11.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gulu

–

Barcelona

$229 9.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Gulu

–

Barcelona

$156 6.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Gulu

–

Barcelona

$77 3.2%

Getting Around

Gulu

–

Barcelona

$47 2%

Good to know

🇺🇬 Gulu

🇪🇸 Barcelona

🕒 Local time

13:51 1:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

1 h behind Gulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,276

1,660,122

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gulu Barcelona 5,240 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Gulu
Barcelona

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

Gulu vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gulu and Barcelona differ by about 2011% in total monthly costs ($113 vs $2,381 including rent). Gulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $169 in Gulu and $3,571 in Barcelona 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.

A monthly transit pass in Gulu runs roughly 11% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

All in, you'll spend $113 per month in Gulu versus $2,381 in Barcelona – a 2011% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $113 in Gulu versus $2,381 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gulu but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Gulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Gulu and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2011% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.