Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gulu and Mbarara

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $110 a month against $477 in Mbarara, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mbarara
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Mbarara Living Index

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Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$110

/mo nomad

Mbarara

🇺🇬 Uganda

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gulu and in Mbarara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $110 in Gulu versus $477 in Mbarara.

Gulu $110
Mbarara $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $160 in Gulu versus $755 in Mbarara.

Gulu $160
Mbarara $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $211 in Gulu versus $1,032 in Mbarara.

Gulu $211
Mbarara $1,032

Living in Gulu costs roughly 77% less than in Mbarara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gulu 92% lower, Mbarara 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.15 UGX 4,657

$2.36 UGX 9,543

-51.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.34 UGX 94.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 UGX 42.2K

$7.09 UGX 28.6K

47.39%

Cappuccino

$2.29 UGX 9,264

$2.45 UGX 9,900

-6.53%

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

$0.24 UGX 974

$0.36 UGX 1,460

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 UGX 551

$0.24 UGX 968

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.68 UGX 2,766

$1.14 UGX 4,583

-40.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 UGX 9,288

$1.77 UGX 7,166

29.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 UGX 1,976

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 UGX 3,266

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 UGX 4,766

Eggs

$1.41 UGX 5,687

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.17 UGX 16.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 UGX 17.3K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.18 UGX 12.8K

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 UGX 7,867

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 UGX 5,510

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 UGX 5,101

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 UGX 4,788

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 4,848

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 4,847

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 UGX 3,006

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 UGX 1,979

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 UGX 9,386

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 UGX 29.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 UGX 4,278

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 UGX 7,419

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 UGX 3,719

$0.72 UGX 2,910

27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.25 UGX 114.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 1,985

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,217

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 UGX 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 UGX 4,840

$1.34 UGX 5,406

-10.45%

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

$7,152 UGX 28.9M

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

$6,894 UGX 27.8M

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

$66.6 UGX 268.8K

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

$11.18 UGX 45.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.93 UGX 133.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.74 UGX 71.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 UGX 27.6K

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

$265 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K UGX 63.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.89 UGX 52.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.43 UGX 50.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.15 UGX 121.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.63 UGX 168.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$83.3 UGX 336.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$71.1 UGX 287.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 UGX 888.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 UGX 655.0K

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 Mbarara: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Gulu

–

Mbarara

$134 28.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gulu

–

Mbarara

$111 23.2%

Eating Out

Gulu

–

Mbarara

$81 17%

Accommodation & Living

Gulu

–

Mbarara

$71 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Gulu

–

Mbarara

$44 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Gulu

–

Mbarara

$31 6.6%

Getting Around

Gulu

–

Mbarara

$4.9 * 1%

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Gulu

🇺🇬 Mbarara

🕒 Local time

16:44 4:44 PM

Same time as Gulu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,276

195,013

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.48 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.48 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Gulu Mbarara 420 km

From you

Gulu
Mbarara

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 Mbarara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gulu is about 77% cheaper overall, especially in eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $164 in Gulu and $716 in Mbarara 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.