Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $674 a month against $1,561 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
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Kampala Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$674

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $674 in Kampala versus $1,561 in Mexico City.

Kampala $674
Mexico City $1,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,045 in Kampala versus $2,440 in Mexico City.

Kampala $1,045
Mexico City $2,440

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,417 in Kampala versus $3,319 in Mexico City.

Kampala $1,417
Mexico City $3,319

Living in Kampala costs roughly 57% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kampala is 50% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 UGX 10.3K

$11.12 MX$204

-77.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.10 UGX 101.5K

$48.99 MX$900

-48.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 UGX 29.9K

$11.23 MX$206

-34.11%

Cappuccino

$2.57 UGX 10.4K

$3.76 MX$69.0

-31.65%

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

$0.38 UGX 1,543

$1.65 MX$30.34

-76.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 UGX 1,044

$1.28 MX$23.48

-79.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 UGX 4,910

$3.26 MX$59.8

-62.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 UGX 7,748

$5.66 MX$104

-66.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,069

$1.81 MX$33.23

-58.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 UGX 3,832

$2.94 MX$54.0

-67.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 UGX 5,360

$2.05 MX$37.62

-35.12%

Eggs

$1.64 UGX 6,631

$2.93 MX$53.7

-44.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.37 UGX 17.7K

$11.95 MX$219

-63.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 UGX 18.6K

$9.51 MX$175

-51.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.87 UGX 19.7K

$14.84 MX$273

-67.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 UGX 8,869

$3.14 MX$57.7

-30.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,033

$2.01 MX$36.99

-38.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,253

$2.08 MX$38.10

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 UGX 4,928

$2.22 MX$40.72

-45.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 UGX 4,912

$2.06 MX$37.82

-41.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,061

$1.88 MX$34.46

-33.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 UGX 3,168

$1.48 MX$27.18

-47.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,020

$1.35 MX$24.70

-62.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 UGX 10.2K

$5.41 MX$99.3

-53.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

$16.86 MX$310

-55.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 UGX 4,458

$1.98 MX$36.43

-44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 UGX 7,880

$4.32 MX$79.4

-54.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 2,913

$0.34 MX$6.33

111.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.82 UGX 173.2K

$20.23 MX$371

111.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 UGX 2,072

$2.10 MX$38.47

-75.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 UGX 1,297

$0.53 MX$9.74

-39.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 UGX 12.9K

$5.41 MX$99.3

-41.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 UGX 5,866

$1.52 MX$27.91

-4.61%

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

$7,493 UGX 30.3M

$21.7K MX$399.0K

-65.52%

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

$7,453 UGX 30.1M

$24.8K MX$455.6K

-69.96%

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

$70.9 UGX 287.0K

$63.0 MX$1,156

12.66%

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

$11.85 UGX 47.9K

$28.88 MX$530

-58.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.59 UGX 144.0K

$33.93 MX$623

4.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 UGX 230.2K

$55.8 MX$1,024

2.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.97 UGX 24.1K

$24.90 MX$457

-76.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.54 UGX 30.5K

$6.77 MX$124

11.37%

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

$254 UGX 1.0M

$428 MX$7,854

-40.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,231 UGX 33.3M

$11.9K MX$218.0K

-30.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.16 UGX 57.3K

$70.0 MX$1,286

-79.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.02 UGX 52.7K

$53.7 MX$986

-75.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.01 UGX 129.5K

$110 MX$2,016

-70.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.76 UGX 177.0K

$115 MX$2,115

-62.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 UGX 2.0M

$1,062 MX$19.5K

-53.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 UGX 695.0K

$671 MX$12.3K

-74.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 UGX 4.2M

$2,379 MX$43.7K

-56.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 UGX 1.2M

$1,260 MX$23.1K

-76.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,214 UGX 4.9M

$3,716 MX$68.2K

-67.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$983 UGX 4.0M

$1,976 MX$36.3K

-50.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$176 UGX 712.8K

$997 MX$18.3K

-82.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

11.3

83.63%

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

Last update for Kampala: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$172 24.9%

Mexico City

$671 42.4% 290% $499

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$149 21.6%

Mexico City

$327 20.7% 119% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$118 17.1%

Mexico City

$126 8% 6.2% $7.4

Eating Out

Kampala

$86 12.4%

Mexico City

$207 13.1% 141% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$72 10.4%

Mexico City

$69 4.4% 3.7% $2.7

Getting Around

Kampala

$48 6.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 44.9% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$46 6.7%

Mexico City

$157 9.9% 239% $111

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $495 in Kampala and $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 466% 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: $25.00 in Kampala vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $149 vs $327 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

23:37 11:37 PM

9 h behind Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4,045 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.47 USD). 1 EUR = 4,537 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.2 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kampala Mexico City 14,310 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Kampala
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 466% lower in Mexico City. 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: $495 in Kampala versus $1,062 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 119% higher in Mexico City. 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 $25.00 versus $49.00 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $674 in Kampala versus $1,561 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 Mexico City, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.