Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Busembatya

For one person, living is cheaper in Busembatya: $403 a month against $616 in Kampala, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
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Kampala Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Busembatya
Learn more

Busembatya Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$616

/mo nomad

Busembatya

🇺🇬 Uganda

$403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Busembatya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Kampala versus $403 in Busembatya.

Kampala $616
Busembatya $403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Kampala versus $635 in Busembatya.

Kampala $940
Busembatya $635

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,263 in Kampala versus $868 in Busembatya.

Kampala $1,263
Busembatya $868

Living in Kampala is roughly 53% more expensive than in Busembatya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kampala 55% lower, Busembatya 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.19 UGX 9,606

$2.44 UGX 10.7K

-10.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.69 UGX 99.4K

$24.00 UGX 105.1K

-5.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 UGX 29.9K

$7.27 UGX 31.8K

-6.19%

Cappuccino

$2.28 UGX 9,980

$2.55 UGX 11.2K

-10.59%

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

$0.32 UGX 1,387

$0.34 UGX 1,501

-5.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 UGX 1,002

$0.25 UGX 1,086

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 UGX 4,979

$1.18 UGX 5,149

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 UGX 7,407

$1.78 UGX 7,807

-5.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 UGX 2,978

$0.78 UGX 3,436

-12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 UGX 3,517

$0.86 UGX 3,757

-6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 UGX 5,374

$1.26 UGX 5,526

-2.38%

Eggs

$1.47 UGX 6,424

$1.53 UGX 6,703

-3.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.93 UGX 17.2K

$4.29 UGX 18.8K

-8.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 UGX 17.4K

$4.40 UGX 19.3K

-9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.53 UGX 19.8K

$4.63 UGX 20.3K

-2.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 UGX 8,196

$2.04 UGX 8,945

-8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 UGX 5,587

$1.25 UGX 5,462

2.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 UGX 5,034

$1.31 UGX 5,728

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 UGX 4,922

$1.17 UGX 5,140

-4.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 UGX 4,991

$1.22 UGX 5,329

-6.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 UGX 4,983

$1.23 UGX 5,396

-7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 UGX 2,898

$0.72 UGX 3,153

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 UGX 1,964

$0.51 UGX 2,236

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 UGX 9,512

$2.45 UGX 10.7K

-11.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 UGX 29.8K

$7.15 UGX 31.3K

-4.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 UGX 4,451

$1.03 UGX 4,516

-0.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UGX 7,471

$1.90 UGX 8,314

-10.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 UGX 3,002

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.32 UGX 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.43 UGX 1,902

$0.46 UGX 2,009

-6.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,270

$0.31 UGX 1,378

-6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 UGX 12.3K

$2.99 UGX 13.1K

-6.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 UGX 5,479

$1.40 UGX 6,145

-10.71%

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

$6,811 UGX 29.8M

$7,294 UGX 31.9M

-6.61%

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

$6,696 UGX 29.3M

$7,105 UGX 31.1M

-5.75%

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

$64.4 UGX 282.0K

$68.8 UGX 301.4K

-6.42%

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

$10.73 UGX 47.0K

$11.34 UGX 49.7K

-5.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 UGX 140.3K

$34.11 UGX 149.4K

-6.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 UGX 223.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 UGX 23.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 UGX 30.1K

$7.39 UGX 32.4K

-7.04%

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

$260 UGX 1.1M

$253 UGX 1.1M

2.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,974 UGX 34.9M

$8,247 UGX 36.1M

-3.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.71 UGX 55.7K

$13.66 UGX 59.8K

-6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.92 UGX 52.2K

$12.50 UGX 54.7K

-4.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.62 UGX 125.4K

$31.08 UGX 136.1K

-7.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.91 UGX 170.4K

$41.99 UGX 183.9K

-7.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 UGX 2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 UGX 661.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 UGX 5.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 UGX 1.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,194 UGX 5.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$922 UGX 4.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$160 UGX 700.7K

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 Kampala: October 25, 2026

Last update for Busembatya: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$151 24.5%

Busembatya

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$134 21.7%

Busembatya

$144 35.6% 7.2% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$107 17.4%

Busembatya

$114 28.4% 6.6% $7.1

Eating Out

Kampala

$77 12.4%

Busembatya

$84 20.8% 9.3% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$65 10.5%

Busembatya

$15 * 3.7% 77.1% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$41 6.7%

Busembatya

$45 11.1% 7.7% $3.2

Getting Around

Kampala

$41 6.7%

Busembatya

$2 * 0.5% 95% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $23 in Kampala vs $24 in Busembatya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $134 vs $144 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇺🇬 Busembatya

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

Same time as Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

15,889

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kampala Busembatya 130 km

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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 Busembatya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $616 in Kampala and $403 in Busembatya, so Busembatya is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $924 in Kampala and $604 in Busembatya 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.

Childcare runs $260 in Kampala versus $253 in Busembatya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampala – a meal for two runs $23 versus $24 in Busembatya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Busembatya gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.