Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Jinja

For one person, living is cheaper in Jinja: $380 a month against $643 in Kampala, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
18

Cost of Living Index in Jinja
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Jinja Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$643

/mo nomad

Jinja

🇺🇬 Uganda

$380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Jinja

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

A single person spends $643 per month in Kampala vs $380 in Jinja, rent included.

Kampala $643
Jinja $380

A couple spends around $981 per month in Kampala vs $597 in Jinja, rent included.

Kampala $981
Jinja $597

A family of three spends $1,320 per month in Kampala vs $813 in Jinja, rent included.

Kampala $1,320
Jinja $813

Kampala costs about 69% more than Jinja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Kampala and Jinja are more affordable than the global median – Kampala 52% lower, Jinja 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 UGX 9,965

$2.30 UGX 9,711

2.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.23 UGX 98.0K

$22.97 UGX 96.9K

1.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 UGX 30.2K

$6.86 UGX 28.9K

4.52%

Cappuccino

$2.49 UGX 10.5K

$2.39 UGX 10.1K

4.18%

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

$0.37 UGX 1,548

$0.36 UGX 1,535

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,011

$0.26 UGX 1,107

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 UGX 4,983

$1.16 UGX 4,871

1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,523

$1.71 UGX 7,228

4.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,226

$0.66 UGX 2,769

15.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UGX 3,624

$0.87 UGX 3,655

-1.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 UGX 5,319

$1.08 UGX 4,552

16.67%

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,807

$1.41 UGX 5,929

-2.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 UGX 17.4K

$4.14 UGX 17.4K

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

$4.18 UGX 17.6K

-1.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 UGX 19.5K

$4.51 UGX 19.0K

2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 UGX 8,668

$1.99 UGX 8,375

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 UGX 5,912

$0.65 UGX 2,732

115.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,264

$1.08 UGX 4,550

15.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,061

$1.20 UGX 5,046

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,045

$1.19 UGX 5,021

0.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,229

$0.48 UGX 2,040

158.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 UGX 2,984

$0.69 UGX 2,913

2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,094

$0.41 UGX 1,709

21.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,704

$2.28 UGX 9,626

0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 UGX 30.3K

$6.92 UGX 29.2K

3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,254

$1.00 UGX 4,224

1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 UGX 7,762

$1.78 UGX 7,488

3.37%

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 2,048

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,276

$0.30 UGX 1,277

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 UGX 12.4K

$3.00 UGX 12.7K

-2.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 UGX 5,962

$1.42 UGX 5,971

-0.70%

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

$6,948 UGX 29.3M

$7,153 UGX 30.2M

-2.87%

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

$7,038 UGX 29.7M

$6,883 UGX 29.0M

2.26%

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

$64.9 UGX 273.7K

$67.3 UGX 283.7K

-3.52%

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

$11.26 UGX 47.5K

$10.96 UGX 46.2K

2.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 UGX 140.3K

$32.75 UGX 138.1K

1.62%

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

$6.91 UGX 29.1K

2.03%

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

$262 UGX 1.1M

$265 UGX 1.1M

-1.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K UGX 65.9M

$16.2K UGX 68.2M

-3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.27 UGX 56.0K

$13.40 UGX 56.5K

-0.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.05 UGX 50.8K

$12.07 UGX 50.9K

-0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.16 UGX 127.2K

$30.17 UGX 127.2K

-0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.28 UGX 174.1K

$40.73 UGX 171.8K

1.35%

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 Jinja: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$158 24.6%

Jinja

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$141 22%

Jinja

$131 34.4% 7.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$109 17%

Jinja

$111 29.2% 1.4% $1.5

Eating Out

Kampala

$82 12.8%

Jinja

$79 20.9% 3.4% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$66 10.3%

Jinja

$14 * 3.6% 79.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$44 6.8%

Jinja

$43 11.4% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Kampala

$43 6.6%

Jinja

$2 * 0.5% 95.3% $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 $23 in Jinja. Groceries tell a different story – $141 in Kampala vs $131 in Jinja – so Jinja wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇺🇬 Jinja

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

Same time as Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

72,931

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Kampala Jinja 71 km

From you

Kampala
Jinja

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 Jinja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $643 in Kampala, $380 in Jinja – Jinja comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $964 per month in Kampala and $570 in Jinja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $262 per month in Kampala and $265 in Jinja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $643 in Kampala and $380 in Jinja. That makes Jinja about 41% cheaper.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $643 in Kampala and $380 in Jinja, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Jinja has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $380 in Jinja to $643 in Kampala. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.