Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Masindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Masindi: $394 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 Masindi
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Masindi Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$643

/mo nomad

Masindi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Masindi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $643 in Kampala versus $394 in Masindi.

Kampala $643
Masindi $394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $981 in Kampala versus $621 in Masindi.

Kampala $981
Masindi $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,320 in Kampala versus $849 in Masindi.

Kampala $1,320
Masindi $849

Living in Kampala is roughly 63% more expensive than in Masindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 UGX 9,965

$2.37 UGX 10.0K

-0.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.23 UGX 98.0K

$23.57 UGX 99.4K

-1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 UGX 30.2K

$6.81 UGX 28.7K

5.29%

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

$0.34 UGX 1,421

8.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,011

$0.26 UGX 1,105

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 UGX 4,983

$1.20 UGX 5,068

-1.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,523

$1.78 UGX 7,488

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,226

$0.80 UGX 3,394

-5.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UGX 3,624

$0.81 UGX 3,435

6.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 UGX 5,319

$1.24 UGX 5,222

1.61%

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,807

$1.41 UGX 5,967

-2.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 UGX 17.4K

$4.09 UGX 17.2K

0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

$4.32 UGX 18.2K

-4.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 UGX 19.5K

$4.57 UGX 19.3K

1.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 UGX 8,668

$2.04 UGX 8,603

0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 UGX 5,912

$1.39 UGX 5,880

0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,264

$1.20 UGX 5,073

4.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,061

$1.24 UGX 5,221

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,045

$1.20 UGX 5,042

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,229

$1.25 UGX 5,289

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 UGX 2,984

$0.74 UGX 3,131

-4.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,094

$0.49 UGX 2,070

2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,704

$2.31 UGX 9,743

-0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 UGX 30.3K

$6.97 UGX 29.4K

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,254

$1.00 UGX 4,238

1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 UGX 7,762

$1.77 UGX 7,475

3.95%

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 2,051

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,276

$0.28 UGX 1,172

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 UGX 12.4K

$2.84 UGX 12.0K

3.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 UGX 5,962

$1.41 UGX 5,940

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

$6,948 UGX 29.3M

$6,986 UGX 29.5M

-0.55%

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

$7,038 UGX 29.7M

$6,992 UGX 29.5M

0.66%

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

$64.9 UGX 273.7K

$67.4 UGX 284.4K

-3.75%

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

$11.26 UGX 47.5K

$10.93 UGX 46.1K

3.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 UGX 140.3K

$33.25 UGX 140.2K

0.09%

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

$7.08 UGX 29.9K

-0.42%

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

$262 UGX 1.1M

$263 UGX 1.1M

-0.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K UGX 65.9M

$16.0K UGX 67.5M

-2.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.27 UGX 56.0K

$13.33 UGX 56.2K

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.05 UGX 50.8K

$12.33 UGX 52.0K

-2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.16 UGX 127.2K

$30.68 UGX 129.4K

-1.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.28 UGX 174.1K

$40.51 UGX 170.8K

1.90%

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 Masindi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$158 24.6%

Masindi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$141 22%

Masindi

$141 35.9% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$109 17%

Masindi

$112 28.4% 2% $2.2

Eating Out

Kampala

$82 12.8%

Masindi

$81 20.6% 1.6% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$66 10.3%

Masindi

$14 * 3.6% 78.5% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$44 6.8%

Masindi

$44 11.1% 0.1% $0

Getting Around

Kampala

$43 6.6%

Masindi

$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 $24 in Masindi 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

🇺🇬 Masindi

🕒 Local time

13:11 1:11 PM

Same time as Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

94,622

💱 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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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 Masindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masindi is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $964 in Kampala and $590 in Masindi 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampala – a meal for two runs $23 versus $24 in Masindi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $262 in Kampala versus $263 in Masindi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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