Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gulu and Busembatya

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $110 a month against $391 in Busembatya, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Busembatya
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Busembatya Living Index

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Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$110

/mo nomad

Busembatya

🇺🇬 Uganda

$391

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gulu and in Busembatya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $110 in Gulu versus $391 in Busembatya.

Gulu $110
Busembatya $391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $160 in Gulu versus $618 in Busembatya.

Gulu $160
Busembatya $618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $211 in Gulu versus $845 in Busembatya.

Gulu $211
Busembatya $845

Living in Gulu costs roughly 72% less than in Busembatya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gulu 92% lower, Busembatya 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.15 UGX 4,928

$2.39 UGX 10.2K

-51.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.66 UGX 101.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 UGX 44.6K

$6.96 UGX 29.7K

50.14%

Cappuccino

$2.29 UGX 9,804

$2.37 UGX 10.1K

-3.38%

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

$0.24 UGX 1,031

$0.33 UGX 1,426

-27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 UGX 583

$0.26 UGX 1,114

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 UGX 2,927

$1.15 UGX 4,897

-40.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 UGX 9,829

$1.71 UGX 7,322

34.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,252

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 UGX 3,427

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 UGX 5,184

Eggs

$1.37 UGX 5,873

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 UGX 17.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 UGX 17.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.69 UGX 20.1K

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 UGX 8,371

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 UGX 6,045

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,303

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,284

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 UGX 4,954

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,347

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 UGX 3,018

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,149

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,839

Wine (Bottle)

$7.04 UGX 30.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,313

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,624

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 UGX 3,936

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.25 UGX 120.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,106

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,300

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 UGX 12.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 UGX 5,122

$1.34 UGX 5,729

-10.45%

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

$7,067 UGX 30.2M

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

$7,089 UGX 30.3M

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

$67.3 UGX 287.7K

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

$11.11 UGX 47.5K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.95 UGX 140.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 UGX 29.8K

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

$267 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K UGX 67.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.99 UGX 55.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.06 UGX 51.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.48 UGX 130.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.93 UGX 179.2K

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 Gulu: November 1, 2026

Last update for Busembatya: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gulu

–

Busembatya

$140 35.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gulu

–

Busembatya

$111 28.5%

Eating Out

Gulu

–

Busembatya

$80 20.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Gulu

–

Busembatya

$44 11.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Gulu

–

Busembatya

$14 * 3.6%

Getting Around

Gulu

–

Busembatya

$2 * 0.5%

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Gulu

🇺🇬 Busembatya

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

Same time as Gulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,276

15,889

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.09 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Gulu Busembatya 270 km

From you

Gulu
Busembatya

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 Busembatya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $110 in Gulu and $391 in Busembatya, so Gulu is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $164 in Gulu and $587 in Busembatya 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.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Gulu gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.