Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $674 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$674

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Budapest

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

A single person spends $674 per month in Kampala vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Kampala $674
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,045 per month in Kampala vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Kampala $1,045
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $1,417 per month in Kampala vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Kampala $1,417
Budapest $3,489

Kampala is about 58% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Kampala sits 50% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 UGX 10.3K

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-81.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.10 UGX 101.5K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-58.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 UGX 29.9K

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-25.70%

Cappuccino

$2.57 UGX 10.4K

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-23.96%

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

$0.38 UGX 1,543

$2.13 Ft 692

-82.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 UGX 1,044

$1.87 Ft 608

-86.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 UGX 4,910

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-67.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 UGX 7,748

$3.57 Ft 1,162

-46.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,069

$1.13 Ft 368

-32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 UGX 3,832

$1.84 Ft 599

-48.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 UGX 5,360

$2.39 Ft 777

-44.35%

Eggs

$1.64 UGX 6,631

$3.83 Ft 1,245

-57.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.37 UGX 17.7K

$11.33 Ft 3,686

-61.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 UGX 18.6K

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-31.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.87 UGX 19.7K

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-66.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UGX 8,869

$1.84 Ft 597

19.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,033

$2.01 Ft 653

-38.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,253

$2.36 Ft 767

-44.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 UGX 4,928

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-67.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 UGX 4,912

$0.96 Ft 313

26.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,061

$1.03 Ft 334

21.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 UGX 3,168

$1.56 Ft 509

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,020

$0.66 Ft 216

-24.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 UGX 10.2K

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-68.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

$6.01 Ft 1,954

25.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 UGX 4,458

$1.30 Ft 421

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 UGX 7,880

$2.08 Ft 676

-6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 2,913

$1.50 Ft 489

-52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.82 UGX 173.2K

$27.61 Ft 8,982

55.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 UGX 2,072

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-84.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 UGX 1,297

$1.30 Ft 424

-75.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 UGX 12.9K

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-83.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 UGX 5,866

$1.81 Ft 591

-19.89%

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

$7,493 UGX 30.3M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-74.45%

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

$7,453 UGX 30.1M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-78.15%

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

$70.9 UGX 287.0K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-58.26%

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

$11.85 UGX 47.9K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-50.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.59 UGX 144.0K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

51.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 UGX 230.2K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-14.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.97 UGX 24.1K

$19.18 Ft 6,239

-68.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-20.80%

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

$254 UGX 1.0M

$537 Ft 174.6K

-52.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,231 UGX 33.3M

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-50.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.16 UGX 57.3K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-86.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.02 UGX 52.7K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

-69.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.01 UGX 129.5K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-71.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.76 UGX 177.0K

$119 Ft 38.6K

-63.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 UGX 2.0M

$805 Ft 262.0K

-38.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 UGX 695.0K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-72.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 UGX 4.2M

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-32.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 UGX 1.2M

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-74.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 UGX 4.9M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-78.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$983 UGX 4.0M

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-75.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 UGX 712.8K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-89.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

6.43

222.71%

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

Last update for Kampala: October 5, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$172 24.9%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 266% $457

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$149 21.6%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 72.7% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$118 17.1%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 83.6% $99

Eating Out

Kampala

$86 12.4%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 161% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$72 10.4%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 18.5% $13

Getting Around

Kampala

$48 6.9%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 9.2% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$46 6.7%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 265% $123

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Kampala versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 823% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kampala versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $149 vs $258 – making Kampala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

1 h behind Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, 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).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kampala Budapest 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kampala
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 141%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,011 per month in Kampala and $2,432 in Budapest. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 55% less in Kampala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $254 per month in Kampala and $537 in Budapest. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kampala, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Budapest at $1,621. In Kampala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kampala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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