Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Fort Portal

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Portal: $364 a month against $643 in Kampala, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
17

Cost of Living Index in Fort Portal
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Fort Portal Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$643

/mo nomad

Fort Portal

🇺🇬 Uganda

$364

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Fort Portal

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Kampala vs $364 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Kampala $643
Fort Portal $364

A couple spends around $981 per month in Kampala vs $574 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Kampala $981
Fort Portal $574

A family of three spends $1,320 per month in Kampala vs $783 in Fort Portal, rent included.

Kampala $1,320
Fort Portal $783

Kampala costs about 77% more than Fort Portal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kampala and Fort Portal are more affordable than the global median – Kampala 52% lower, Fort Portal 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 UGX 9,965

$2.37 UGX 9,990

-0.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.23 UGX 98.0K

$23.66 UGX 99.8K

-1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 UGX 30.2K

$6.93 UGX 29.2K

3.46%

Cappuccino

$2.49 UGX 10.5K

$2.46 UGX 10.4K

1.22%

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

$0.37 UGX 1,548

$0.37 UGX 1,545

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,011

$0.24 UGX 1,004

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 UGX 4,983

$1.20 UGX 5,049

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,523

$1.72 UGX 7,235

3.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,226

$0.27 UGX 1,126

181.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UGX 3,624

$0.68 UGX 2,850

26.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 UGX 5,319

$0.90 UGX 3,795

40.00%

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,807

$1.15 UGX 4,835

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 UGX 17.4K

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

-0.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

$4.14 UGX 17.5K

-0.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 UGX 19.5K

$3.12 UGX 13.2K

48.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 UGX 8,668

$1.96 UGX 8,246

5.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 UGX 5,912

$0.71 UGX 2,996

97.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,264

$1.20 UGX 5,052

4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,061

$1.13 UGX 4,786

6.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,045

$1.20 UGX 5,075

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,229

$0.57 UGX 2,386

117.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 UGX 2,984

$0.73 UGX 3,081

-2.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,094

$0.49 UGX 2,046

2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,704

$2.30 UGX 9,700

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 UGX 30.3K

$4.57 UGX 19.3K

57.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,254

$0.68 UGX 2,848

48.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 UGX 7,762

$0.93 UGX 3,914

97.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 3,049

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.73 UGX 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,058

$0.49 UGX 2,065

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,276

$0.28 UGX 1,165

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 UGX 12.4K

$2.89 UGX 12.2K

1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 UGX 5,962

$1.16 UGX 4,905

21.55%

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

$6,948 UGX 29.3M

$6,927 UGX 29.2M

0.30%

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

$7,038 UGX 29.7M

$6,921 UGX 29.2M

1.70%

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

$64.9 UGX 273.7K

$66.9 UGX 282.2K

-3.00%

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

$11.26 UGX 47.5K

$11.00 UGX 46.4K

2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 UGX 140.3K

$32.84 UGX 138.5K

1.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 UGX 218.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.66 UGX 23.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 UGX 29.7K

$7.16 UGX 30.2K

-1.54%

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

$262 UGX 1.1M

$267 UGX 1.1M

-1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K UGX 65.9M

$16.1K UGX 67.9M

-2.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.27 UGX 56.0K

$13.23 UGX 55.8K

0.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.05 UGX 50.8K

$12.29 UGX 51.8K

-1.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.16 UGX 127.2K

$30.84 UGX 130.1K

-2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.28 UGX 174.1K

$40.94 UGX 172.7K

0.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 UGX 1.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 UGX 665.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 UGX 5.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 UGX 1.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,224 UGX 5.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 UGX 4.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 UGX 711.3K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fort Portal: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$158 24.6%

Fort Portal

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$141 22%

Fort Portal

$112 30.9% 20.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$109 17%

Fort Portal

$111 30.4% 1.2% $1.3

Eating Out

Kampala

$82 12.8%

Fort Portal

$81 22.3% 1.4% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$66 10.3%

Fort Portal

$14 * 3.9% 78.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$44 6.8%

Fort Portal

$44 12% 0.6% $0.2

Getting Around

Kampala

$43 6.6%

Fort Portal

$1.9 * 0.5% 95.6% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Kampala versus $24 in Fort Portal. Groceries tell a different story – $141 in Kampala vs $112 in Fort Portal – so Fort Portal wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇺🇬 Fort Portal

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

Same time as Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

54,275

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Kampala Fort Portal 260 km

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Kampala
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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 Fort Portal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala costs about 77% more than Fort Portal, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $964 per month in Kampala and $546 in Fort Portal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Kampala and $24 in Fort Portal. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Kampala, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $643 in Kampala and $364 in Fort Portal, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.