Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Lira

For one person, living is cheaper in Lira: $389 a month against $643 in Kampala, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 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
19

Cost of Living Index in Lira
Learn more

Lira Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$643

/mo nomad

Lira

🇺🇬 Uganda

$389

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Lira

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $643 in Kampala versus $389 in Lira.

Kampala $643
Lira $389

Estimated couple costs with rent: $981 in Kampala versus $614 in Lira.

Kampala $981
Lira $614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,320 in Kampala versus $839 in Lira.

Kampala $1,320
Lira $839

Living in Kampala is roughly 65% more expensive than in Lira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kampala 52% lower, Lira 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 UGX 9,965

$2.32 UGX 9,799

1.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.23 UGX 98.0K

$23.02 UGX 97.1K

0.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 UGX 30.2K

$7.13 UGX 30.1K

0.56%

Cappuccino

$2.49 UGX 10.5K

$2.41 UGX 10.1K

3.32%

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

$0.37 UGX 1,548

$0.24 UGX 1,016

54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,011

$0.22 UGX 927

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 UGX 4,983

$0.71 UGX 2,998

66.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,523

$1.72 UGX 7,240

3.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,226

$0.76 UGX 3,192

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UGX 3,624

$0.84 UGX 3,557

2.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 UGX 5,319

$1.24 UGX 5,213

1.61%

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,807

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 UGX 17.4K

$4.04 UGX 17.0K

1.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

$4.35 UGX 18.3K

-5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 UGX 19.5K

$4.71 UGX 19.8K

-1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 UGX 8,668

$2.02 UGX 8,515

1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 UGX 5,912

$1.35 UGX 5,679

3.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,264

$1.21 UGX 5,120

3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,061

$1.18 UGX 4,976

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,045

$1.20 UGX 5,051

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,229

$1.20 UGX 5,045

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 UGX 2,984

$0.70 UGX 2,937

1.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,094

$0.50 UGX 2,116

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,704

$2.41 UGX 10.2K

-4.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 UGX 30.3K

$7.17 UGX 30.2K

0.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,254

$1.05 UGX 4,407

-3.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 UGX 7,762

$1.78 UGX 7,490

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 2,065

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,276

$0.28 UGX 1,173

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 UGX 12.4K

$2.90 UGX 12.2K

1.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 UGX 5,962

$1.42 UGX 5,975

-0.70%

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

$6,948 UGX 29.3M

$6,923 UGX 29.2M

0.36%

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

$7,038 UGX 29.7M

$7,095 UGX 29.9M

-0.80%

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

$64.9 UGX 273.7K

$65.4 UGX 276.0K

-0.83%

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

$11.26 UGX 47.5K

$10.94 UGX 46.2K

2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 UGX 140.3K

$33.40 UGX 140.9K

-0.36%

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

$7.12 UGX 30.0K

-0.98%

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

$262 UGX 1.1M

$259 UGX 1.1M

1.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K UGX 65.9M

$15.6K UGX 65.8M

0.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.27 UGX 56.0K

$12.99 UGX 54.8K

2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.05 UGX 50.8K

$12.06 UGX 50.9K

-0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.16 UGX 127.2K

$30.89 UGX 130.3K

-2.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.28 UGX 174.1K

$41.89 UGX 176.7K

-1.46%

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 Lira: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$158 24.6%

Lira

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$141 22%

Lira

$141 36.3% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$109 17%

Lira

$110 28.2% 0.3% $0.4

Eating Out

Kampala

$82 12.8%

Lira

$78 20% 5.5% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$66 10.3%

Lira

$14 * 3.7% 78.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$44 6.8%

Lira

$44 11.3% 1.1% $0.5

Getting Around

Kampala

$43 6.6%

Lira

$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

Dining out: $23 in Kampala vs $23 in Lira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $141 vs $141 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇺🇬 Lira

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

Same time as Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

99,059

💱 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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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 Lira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lira is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $964 in Kampala and $583 in Lira 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 $262 in Kampala versus $259 in Lira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $643 per month in Kampala versus $389 in Lira – Lira is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Lira gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.