Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $674 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
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Kampala Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$674

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $674 in Kampala versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Kampala $674
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,045 in Kampala versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Kampala $1,045
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,417 in Kampala versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Kampala $1,417
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Kampala costs roughly 75% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kampala is 50% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 UGX 10.3K

$20.22 $20.22

-87.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.10 UGX 101.5K

$85.0 $85.0

-70.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 UGX 29.9K

$12.35 $12.35

-40.08%

Cappuccino

$2.57 UGX 10.4K

$5.47 $5.47

-53.02%

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

$0.38 UGX 1,543

$3.82 $3.82

-90.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 UGX 1,044

$2.50 $2.50

-89.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 UGX 4,910

$8.06 $8.06

-84.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 UGX 7,748

$8.99 $8.99

-78.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,069

$1.13 $1.13

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 UGX 3,832

$3.78 $3.78

-74.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 UGX 5,360

$3.25 $3.25

-59.08%

Eggs

$1.64 UGX 6,631

$4.14 $4.14

-60.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.37 UGX 17.7K

$13.08 $13.08

-66.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 UGX 18.6K

$14.31 $14.31

-67.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.87 UGX 19.7K

$15.96 $15.96

-69.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UGX 8,869

$4.38 $4.38

-50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,033

$1.45 $1.45

-14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,253

$4.54 $4.54

-71.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 UGX 4,928

$4.19 $4.19

-70.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 UGX 4,912

$2.63 $2.63

-53.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,061

$2.36 $2.36

-47.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 UGX 3,168

$1.76 $1.76

-55.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,020

$2.16 $2.16

-76.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 UGX 10.2K

$9.81 $9.81

-74.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

$14.72 $14.72

-48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 UGX 4,458

$2.78 $2.78

-60.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 UGX 7,880

$3.48 $3.48

-43.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 2,913

$1.49 $1.49

-51.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.82 UGX 173.2K

$40.51 $40.51

5.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 UGX 2,072

$2.67 $2.67

-80.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 UGX 1,297

$1.58 $1.58

-79.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 UGX 12.9K

$35.29 $35.29

-90.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 UGX 5,866

$0.99 $0.99

46.46%

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

$7,493 UGX 30.3M

$35.8K $35.8K

-79.07%

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

$7,453 UGX 30.1M

$27.2K $27.2K

-72.57%

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

$70.9 UGX 287.0K

$219 $219

-67.65%

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

$11.85 UGX 47.9K

$58.0 $58.0

-79.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.59 UGX 144.0K

$68.4 $68.4

-47.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 UGX 230.2K

$57.9 $57.9

-1.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.97 UGX 24.1K

$14.82 $14.82

-59.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

$14.13 $14.13

-46.64%

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

$254 UGX 1.0M

$1,509 $1,509

-83.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,231 UGX 33.3M

$21.5K $21.5K

-61.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.16 UGX 57.3K

$51.7 $51.7

-72.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.02 UGX 52.7K

$44.05 $44.05

-70.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.01 UGX 129.5K

$85.1 $85.1

-62.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.76 UGX 177.0K

$105 $105

-58.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 UGX 2.0M

$1,932 $1,932

-74.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 UGX 695.0K

$1,272 $1,272

-86.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 UGX 4.2M

$3,670 $3,670

-71.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 UGX 1.2M

$2,525 $2,525

-88.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 UGX 4.9M

$7,617 $7,617

-84.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$983 UGX 4.0M

$3,199 $3,199

-69.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 UGX 712.8K

$5,105 $5,105

-96.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

6.79

205.60%

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

Last update for Kampala: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$172 24.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 641% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$149 21.6%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 170% $254

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$118 17.1%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 192% $227

Eating Out

Kampala

$86 12.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 306% $262

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$72 10.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 19.7% $14

Getting Around

Kampala

$48 6.9%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 19.2% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$46 6.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 178% $82

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Kampala and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2797% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Kampala vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $149 vs $403 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

22:19 10:19 PM

8 h behind Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,537 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kampala Austin, TX 13,760 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Kampala
Austin, TX

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

Kampala vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala wins on cost – living expenses run 301% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kampala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2797% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $495 in Kampala versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $674 per month in Kampala versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 301% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kampala runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $674 in Kampala versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kampala 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.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 301% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.