Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $669 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
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Kampala Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$669

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $669 in Kampala versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Kampala $669
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,022 in Kampala versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Kampala $1,022
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,376 in Kampala versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Kampala $1,376
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Kampala costs roughly 70% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kampala is 50% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 UGX 9,669

$16.50 €14.67

-85.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.24 UGX 99.7K

$61.3 €54.5

-60.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 UGX 30.1K

$11.27 €10.03

-35.05%

Cappuccino

$2.48 UGX 10.2K

$3.06 €2.72

-18.95%

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

$0.35 UGX 1,433

$2.26 €2.01

-84.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 UGX 1,021

$1.73 €1.54

-85.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 UGX 4,891

$3.39 €3.02

-64.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 UGX 7,359

$3.40 €3.02

-47.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 UGX 3,004

$1.12 €1.00

-34.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 UGX 3,709

$1.86 €1.65

-51.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 UGX 5,514

$1.53 €1.36

-12.42%

Eggs

$1.60 UGX 6,596

$3.96 €3.53

-59.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.36 UGX 17.9K

$12.76 €11.35

-65.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 UGX 18.8K

$7.90 €7.02

-42.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.84 UGX 19.9K

$16.97 €15.09

-71.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 UGX 8,718

$2.27 €2.02

-6.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 UGX 5,238

$1.75 €1.55

-27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 UGX 5,197

$1.85 €1.64

-31.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 UGX 4,766

$2.57 €2.28

-54.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,103

$1.86 €1.65

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 UGX 4,846

$2.02 €1.80

-41.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 UGX 3,197

$1.44 €1.28

-45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 UGX 2,145

$0.82 €0.73

-36.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 UGX 9,746

$6.56 €5.83

-63.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 UGX 30.4K

$5.62 €5.00

31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 UGX 4,416

$1.28 €1.14

-16.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 UGX 7,485

$2.07 €1.84

-12.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 2,954

$2.35 €2.09

-69.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.77 UGX 171.8K

$44.18 €39.30

-5.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 UGX 1,912

$3.99 €3.55

-88.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,182

$1.09 €0.97

-73.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 UGX 12.7K

$16.64 €14.81

-81.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 UGX 5,746

$2.28 €2.03

-38.60%

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

$7,189 UGX 29.6M

$33.7K €30.0K

-78.65%

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

$7,180 UGX 29.5M

$39.3K €35.0K

-81.73%

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

$69.3 UGX 285.0K

$167 €149

-58.63%

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

$11.61 UGX 47.8K

$18.80 €16.72

-38.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.60 UGX 138.2K

$33.09 €29.43

1.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 UGX 222.9K

$46.01 €40.93

17.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.86 UGX 24.1K

$19.19 €17.07

-69.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.10 UGX 29.2K

$9.84 €8.75

-27.85%

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

$248 UGX 1.0M

$677 €602

-63.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,313 UGX 34.2M

$16.9K €15.1K

-50.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.54 UGX 55.7K

$101 €90.1

-86.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.51 UGX 51.5K

$45.76 €40.70

-72.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.32 UGX 128.8K

$100.0 €88.9

-68.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.57 UGX 175.1K

$123 €109

-65.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 UGX 2.0M

$1,614 €1,436

-70.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 UGX 679.4K

$1,197 €1,065

-86.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 UGX 4.2M

$2,862 €2,545

-63.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 UGX 1.2M

$1,990 €1,770

-85.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,217 UGX 5.0M

$7,577 €6,740

-83.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$948 UGX 3.9M

$4,307 €3,831

-77.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 UGX 709.9K

$1,588 €1,412

-89.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

3.85

438.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Kampala: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$165 24.7%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 625% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$147 22%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 83.4% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$115 17.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 91.6% $105

Eating Out

Kampala

$82 12.3%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 194% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$68 10.2%

Lisbon

$66 3% 4% $2.7

Getting Around

Kampala

$47 7%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 35.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$45 6.7%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 270% $121

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Kampala and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 820% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Kampala vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $269 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

21:56 9:56 PM

2 h behind Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kampala Lisbon 6,020 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Kampala
Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 232% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 820% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Kampala versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampala – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $669 in Kampala versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kampala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kampala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kampala and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 232% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.