Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Bansko

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $643 a month against $968 in Bansko, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
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Kampala Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Bansko
Learn more

Bansko Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$643

/mo nomad

Bansko

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Bansko

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Kampala vs $968 in Bansko, rent included.

Kampala $643
Bansko $968

A couple spends around $981 per month in Kampala vs $1,479 in Bansko, rent included.

Kampala $981
Bansko $1,479

A family of three spends $1,320 per month in Kampala vs $1,989 in Bansko, rent included.

Kampala $1,320
Bansko $1,989

Kampala is about 34% cheaper than Bansko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kampala and Bansko are more affordable than the global median – Kampala 52% lower, Bansko 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 UGX 9,965

$8.83 BGN 15.37

-73.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.23 UGX 98.0K

$45.43 BGN 79.1

-48.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 UGX 30.2K

$8.92 BGN 15.52

-19.62%

Cappuccino

$2.49 UGX 10.5K

$2.33 BGN 4.06

6.87%

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

$0.37 UGX 1,548

$1.49 BGN 2.60

-75.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,011

$0.83 BGN 1.44

-71.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 UGX 4,983

$1.75 BGN 3.05

-32.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,523

$2.01 BGN 3.49

-11.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,226

$1.72 BGN 3.00

-55.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UGX 3,624

$0.86 BGN 1.49

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 UGX 5,319

$1.46 BGN 2.55

-13.70%

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,807

$2.33 BGN 4.06

-40.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 UGX 17.4K

$9.54 BGN 16.60

-56.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

$6.30 BGN 10.96

-34.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 UGX 19.5K

$8.64 BGN 15.04

-46.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 UGX 8,668

$1.32 BGN 2.29

56.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 UGX 5,912

$1.65 BGN 2.86

-15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,264

$1.74 BGN 3.02

-28.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,061

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-38.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,045

$0.95 BGN 1.66

26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,229

$0.72 BGN 1.26

72.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 UGX 2,984

$0.55 BGN 0.96

29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,094

$0.59 BGN 1.03

-15.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,704

$3.33 BGN 5.79

-30.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 UGX 30.3K

$5.08 BGN 8.84

41.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,254

$1.12 BGN 1.95

-9.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 UGX 7,762

$1.73 BGN 3.01

6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 3,049

$0.89 BGN 1.55

-19.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.73 UGX 159.1K

$27.08 BGN 47.11

39.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,058

$1.64 BGN 2.85

-70.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,276

$0.91 BGN 1.59

-67.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 UGX 12.4K

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-70.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 UGX 5,962

$1.50 BGN 2.61

-6.00%

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

$6,948 UGX 29.3M

$28.6K BGN 49.7K

-75.67%

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

$7,038 UGX 29.7M

$21.2K BGN 36.9K

-66.86%

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

$64.9 UGX 273.7K

$92.5 BGN 161

-29.85%

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

$11.26 UGX 47.5K

$14.59 BGN 25.39

-22.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 UGX 140.3K

$12.13 BGN 21.11

174.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 UGX 218.8K

$31.84 BGN 55.4

62.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.66 UGX 23.9K

$8.46 BGN 14.72

-33.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 UGX 29.7K

$5.51 BGN 9.59

27.95%

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

$262 UGX 1.1M

$227 BGN 395

15.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K UGX 65.9M

$2,311 BGN 4,021

576.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.27 UGX 56.0K

$30.56 BGN 53.2

-56.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.05 UGX 50.8K

$18.95 BGN 32.97

-36.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.16 UGX 127.2K

$45.80 BGN 79.7

-34.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.28 UGX 174.1K

$48.28 BGN 84.0

-14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 UGX 1.9M

$510 BGN 887

-9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 UGX 665.9K

$364 BGN 634

-56.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 UGX 5.1M

$624 BGN 1,085

92.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 UGX 1.2M

$566 BGN 985

-50.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,224 UGX 5.2M

$1,166 BGN 2,028

5.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 UGX 4.0M

$969 BGN 1,686

-3.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 UGX 711.3K

$1,680 BGN 2,923

-89.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

2.99

593.98%

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

Last update for Kampala: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bansko: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$158 24.6%

Bansko

$364 37.6% 131% $206

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$141 22%

Bansko

$193 19.9% 36.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$109 17%

Bansko

$119 12.3% 9% $9.8

Eating Out

Kampala

$82 12.8%

Bansko

$147 15.2% 79.5% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$66 10.3%

Bansko

$43 4.4% 35% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$44 6.8%

Bansko

$65 6.7% 48.4% $21

Getting Around

Kampala

$43 6.6%

Bansko

$37 3.8% 13.6% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Kampala versus $510 in Bansko. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bansko are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Kampala versus $45 in Bansko. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $141 vs $193 – making Kampala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇧🇬 Bansko

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

03:41 3:41 AM

1 h behind Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

8,000

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,217 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD). 1 EUR = 4,734 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kampala Bansko 4,710 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Kampala
Bansko

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 Bansko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $643 in Kampala, $968 in Bansko – Kampala comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $964 per month in Kampala and $1,452 in Bansko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kampala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $460 there versus $510 in Bansko.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Kampala and $45 in Bansko. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $643 in Kampala and $968 in Bansko. That makes Kampala about 34% cheaper.

It depends on your priorities. Bansko has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $643 in Kampala to $968 in Bansko. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kampala. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bansko makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.