Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Bangalore

For one person, living is cheaper in Bangalore: $535 a month against $674 in Kampala, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
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Kampala Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Bangalore
Learn more

Bangalore Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$674

/mo nomad

Bangalore

🇮🇳 India

$535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Bangalore

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $674 in Kampala versus $535 in Bangalore.

Kampala $674
Bangalore $535

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,045 in Kampala versus $927 in Bangalore.

Kampala $1,045
Bangalore $927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,417 in Kampala versus $1,318 in Bangalore.

Kampala $1,417
Bangalore $1,318

Living in Kampala is roughly 26% more expensive than in Bangalore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kampala 50% lower, Bangalore 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 UGX 10.3K

$3.04 ₹294

-16.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.10 UGX 101.5K

$17.83 ₹1,725

40.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 UGX 29.9K

$4.78 ₹463

54.81%

Cappuccino

$2.57 UGX 10.4K

$2.24 ₹217

14.73%

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

$0.38 UGX 1,543

$0.39 ₹37.49

-2.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 UGX 1,044

$0.14 ₹13.64

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 UGX 4,910

$2.34 ₹226

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 UGX 7,748

$3.91 ₹379

-50.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,069

$0.61 ₹58.6

24.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 UGX 3,832

$0.57 ₹55.2

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 UGX 5,360

$0.81 ₹77.9

64.20%

Eggs

$1.64 UGX 6,631

$1.12 ₹109

46.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.37 UGX 17.7K

$5.93 ₹574

-26.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 UGX 18.6K

$3.85 ₹373

19.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.87 UGX 19.7K

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UGX 8,869

$2.78 ₹269

-21.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,033

$0.75 ₹72.2

65.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,253

$1.22 ₹118

6.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 UGX 4,928

$0.40 ₹39.19

205.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 UGX 4,912

$0.38 ₹36.40

218.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,061

$0.36 ₹34.72

247.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 UGX 3,168

$0.42 ₹40.31

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,020

$0.32 ₹31.21

56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 UGX 10.2K

$4.61 ₹446

-45.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

$9.01 ₹872

-16.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 UGX 4,458

$1.86 ₹180

-40.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 UGX 7,880

$2.92 ₹283

-33.22%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.35 ₹614

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 2,913

$0.51 ₹48.89

41.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.82 UGX 173.2K

$15.71 ₹1,520

172.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 UGX 2,072

$1.01 ₹97.8

-49.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 UGX 1,297

$0.30 ₹29.43

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 UGX 12.9K

$2.10 ₹203

51.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 UGX 5,866

$1.08 ₹104

34.26%

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

$7,493 UGX 30.3M

$12.6K ₹1.2M

-40.40%

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

$7,453 UGX 30.1M

$19.1K ₹1.8M

-60.89%

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

$70.9 UGX 287.0K

$30.32 ₹2,934

133.97%

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

$11.85 UGX 47.9K

$4.11 ₹398

188.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.59 UGX 144.0K

$10.23 ₹990

247.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 UGX 230.2K

$18.61 ₹1,801

205.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.97 UGX 24.1K

$5.95 ₹576

0.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

$4.60 ₹446

63.91%

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

$254 UGX 1.0M

$104 ₹10.1K

143.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,231 UGX 33.3M

$3,176 ₹307.3K

159.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.16 UGX 57.3K

$32.29 ₹3,125

-56.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.02 UGX 52.7K

$29.85 ₹2,889

-56.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.01 UGX 129.5K

$53.3 ₹5,160

-39.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.76 UGX 177.0K

$39.66 ₹3,838

10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 UGX 2.0M

$309 ₹29.9K

60.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 UGX 695.0K

$175 ₹16.9K

-1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 UGX 4.2M

$788 ₹76.3K

32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 UGX 1.2M

$481 ₹46.6K

-37.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 UGX 4.9M

$1,889 ₹182.8K

-35.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$983 UGX 4.0M

$1,067 ₹103.3K

-7.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 UGX 712.8K

$919 ₹89.0K

-80.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

8.5

144.12%

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

Last update for Kampala: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bangalore: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$172 24.9%

Bangalore

$175 32% 1.8% $3.1

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$149 21.6%

Bangalore

$122 22.4% 17.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$118 17.1%

Bangalore

$45 8.2% 62.3% $74

Eating Out

Kampala

$86 12.4%

Bangalore

$87 15.9% 1.6% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$72 10.4%

Bangalore

$28 5.1% 61.4% $44

Getting Around

Kampala

$48 6.9%

Bangalore

$20 3.7% 57.6% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$46 6.7%

Bangalore

$70 12.8% 50.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Kampala and $309 in Bangalore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bangalore pays 422% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Kampala vs $18.00 in Bangalore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $149 vs $122 per month, with Bangalore cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇮🇳 Bangalore

🕒 Local time

13:18 1:18 PM

15:48 3:48 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

8,495,492

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, 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 = 4,533 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 108 INR (1,000 INR = 9.22 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kampala Bangalore 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kampala
Bangalore

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 Bangalore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bangalore wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Kampala. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bangalore the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 422% lower in Bangalore. 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 $309 in Bangalore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bangalore runs roughly 173% less than in Kampala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $254 in Kampala versus $104 in Bangalore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Bangalore gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bangalore delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $535 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bangalore hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bangalore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Kampala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.