Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gulu and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $114 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$114

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gulu and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $114 in Gulu versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Gulu $114
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $167 in Gulu versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Gulu $167
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $219 in Gulu versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Gulu $219
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Gulu costs roughly 95% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gulu is 92% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.22 UGX 5,319

$16.65 €14.91

-92.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 UGX 47.5K

$11.36 €10.17

-3.79%

Cappuccino

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

$2.97 €2.66

-18.18%

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

$0.25 UGX 1,089

$2.29 €2.05

-89.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.10 UGX 444

$1.74 €1.56

-94.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.74 UGX 3,201

$3.40 €3.05

-78.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 UGX 10.8K

$3.31 €2.96

-25.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 UGX 4,034

$2.33 €2.09

-60.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.56 UGX 124.1K

$44.68 €40.01

-36.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 UGX 5,149

$2.20 €1.97

-45.91%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

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

$38.7K €34.7K

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

$161 €144

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

$18.41 €16.49

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

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

$668 €598

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Gulu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gulu

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Groceries & Markets

Gulu

–

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Eating Out

Gulu

–

Lisbon

$243 11%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gulu

–

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Clothing & Footwear

Gulu

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Gulu

–

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Getting Around

Gulu

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Good to know

🇺🇬 Gulu

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

23:13 11:13 PM

3 h behind Gulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,276

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.06 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 4,345 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD). 1 EUR = 4,851 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gulu Lisbon 5,790 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Gulu
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gulu is about 95% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $171 in Gulu and $3,315 in Lisbon 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 36% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $114 per month in Gulu versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Gulu is about 95% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $114 in Gulu versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gulu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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.