Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Kapchorwa

For one person, living is cheaper in Kapchorwa: $401 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 Kapchorwa
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Kapchorwa Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$616

/mo nomad

Kapchorwa

🇺🇬 Uganda

$401

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Kapchorwa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Kampala versus $401 in Kapchorwa.

Kampala $616
Kapchorwa $401

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Kampala versus $632 in Kapchorwa.

Kampala $940
Kapchorwa $632

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,263 in Kampala versus $863 in Kapchorwa.

Kampala $1,263
Kapchorwa $863

Living in Kampala is roughly 54% more expensive than in Kapchorwa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kampala 55% lower, Kapchorwa 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.19 UGX 9,620

$2.37 UGX 10.4K

-7.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.69 UGX 99.5K

$23.76 UGX 104.2K

-4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 UGX 29.9K

$7.10 UGX 31.1K

-3.94%

Cappuccino

$2.28 UGX 9,994

$2.50 UGX 11.0K

-8.80%

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

$0.32 UGX 1,389

$0.35 UGX 1,518

-8.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 UGX 1,003

$0.25 UGX 1,088

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 UGX 4,986

$1.18 UGX 5,190

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 UGX 7,418

$1.83 UGX 8,035

-7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 UGX 2,983

$0.74 UGX 3,235

-8.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 UGX 3,522

$0.91 UGX 3,972

-12.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 UGX 5,382

$1.34 UGX 5,861

-8.21%

Eggs

$1.47 UGX 6,433

$1.54 UGX 6,739

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.93 UGX 17.3K

$4.24 UGX 18.6K

-7.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 UGX 17.4K

$4.32 UGX 18.9K

-8.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.53 UGX 19.9K

$4.81 UGX 21.1K

-5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 UGX 8,208

$2.10 UGX 9,192

-10.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 UGX 5,595

$1.22 UGX 5,345

4.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 UGX 5,041

$1.31 UGX 5,735

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 UGX 4,929

$1.19 UGX 5,224

-5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 UGX 4,999

$1.17 UGX 5,139

-2.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 UGX 4,991

$1.22 UGX 5,355

-6.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 UGX 2,902

$0.76 UGX 3,326

-13.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 UGX 1,967

$0.47 UGX 2,065

-4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 UGX 9,525

$2.38 UGX 10.4K

-8.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 UGX 29.8K

$7.07 UGX 31.0K

-3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 UGX 4,457

$1.03 UGX 4,533

-0.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UGX 7,481

$1.87 UGX 8,223

-8.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 UGX 3,007

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.32 UGX 159.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.43 UGX 1,905

$0.50 UGX 2,207

-14.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,272

$0.29 UGX 1,268

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 UGX 12.3K

$2.95 UGX 13.0K

-4.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 UGX 5,487

$1.40 UGX 6,148

-10.71%

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

$6,811 UGX 29.9M

$7,351 UGX 32.2M

-7.35%

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

$6,696 UGX 29.4M

$7,359 UGX 32.3M

-9.00%

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

$64.4 UGX 282.4K

$67.8 UGX 297.2K

-4.96%

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

$10.73 UGX 47.1K

$11.44 UGX 50.2K

-6.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 UGX 140.5K

$34.38 UGX 150.8K

-6.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 UGX 223.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 UGX 23.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 UGX 30.1K

$7.29 UGX 32.0K

-5.76%

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

$260 UGX 1.1M

$253 UGX 1.1M

3.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,974 UGX 35.0M

$8,309 UGX 36.4M

-4.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.71 UGX 55.7K

$13.60 UGX 59.6K

-6.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.92 UGX 52.3K

$12.82 UGX 56.2K

-7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.62 UGX 125.5K

$31.70 UGX 139.1K

-9.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.91 UGX 170.7K

$42.22 UGX 185.2K

-7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 UGX 2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 UGX 662.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 UGX 5.1M

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 701.7K

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 Kapchorwa: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$151 24.5%

Kapchorwa

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$134 21.7%

Kapchorwa

$143 35.8% 7.1% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$107 17.4%

Kapchorwa

$114 28.3% 6% $6.4

Eating Out

Kampala

$77 12.4%

Kapchorwa

$82 20.5% 7.3% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$65 10.5%

Kapchorwa

$15 * 3.6% 77.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$41 6.7%

Kapchorwa

$45 11.3% 8.9% $3.7

Getting Around

Kampala

$41 6.7%

Kapchorwa

$2 * 0.5% 95.2% $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 Kapchorwa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $134 vs $143 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇺🇬 Kapchorwa

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

Same time as Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

51,200

💱 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 Kapchorwa 240 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 Kapchorwa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kapchorwa is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $924 in Kampala and $601 in Kapchorwa 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 Kapchorwa. 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 Kapchorwa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Kapchorwa 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.