Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gulu and Lira

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $110 a month against $389 in Lira, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lira
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Lira Living Index

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Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$110

/mo nomad

Lira

🇺🇬 Uganda

$389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gulu and in Lira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $110 in Gulu versus $389 in Lira.

Gulu $110
Lira $389

Estimated couple costs with rent: $160 in Gulu versus $614 in Lira.

Gulu $160
Lira $614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $211 in Gulu versus $839 in Lira.

Gulu $211
Lira $839

Living in Gulu costs roughly 72% less than in Lira.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.15 UGX 4,864

$2.32 UGX 9,799

-50.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 UGX 97.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 UGX 44.1K

$7.13 UGX 30.1K

46.56%

Cappuccino

$2.29 UGX 9,676

$2.41 UGX 10.1K

-4.98%

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

$0.24 UGX 1,018

$0.24 UGX 1,016

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 UGX 576

$0.22 UGX 927

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 UGX 2,889

$0.71 UGX 2,998

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 UGX 9,701

$1.72 UGX 7,240

33.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,192

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 UGX 3,557

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,213

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,807

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.04 UGX 17.0K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 UGX 18.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 UGX 19.8K

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 UGX 8,515

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 UGX 5,679

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 UGX 5,120

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 UGX 4,976

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,051

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,045

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 UGX 2,937

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,116

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 UGX 10.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 UGX 30.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 UGX 4,407

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,490

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 UGX 3,885

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.25 UGX 119.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,065

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 UGX 1,173

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 UGX 12.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 UGX 5,055

$1.42 UGX 5,975

-15.49%

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

$6,923 UGX 29.2M

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

$7,095 UGX 29.9M

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

$65.4 UGX 276.0K

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

$10.94 UGX 46.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.40 UGX 140.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 UGX 30.0K

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

$259 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K UGX 65.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.99 UGX 54.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.06 UGX 50.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.89 UGX 130.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.89 UGX 176.7K

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 Gulu: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lira: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gulu

–

Lira

$141 36.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gulu

–

Lira

$110 28.2%

Eating Out

Gulu

–

Lira

$78 20%

Clothing & Footwear

Gulu

–

Lira

$44 11.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Gulu

–

Lira

$14 * 3.7%

Getting Around

Gulu

–

Lira

$1.9 * 0.5%

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Gulu

🇺🇬 Lira

🕒 Local time

13:28 1:28 PM

Same time as Gulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,276

99,059

💱 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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Gulu Lira 88 km

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Gulu
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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

Gulu vs Lira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $110 in Gulu and $389 in Lira, 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 $583 in Lira 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.

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.