Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $616 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$616

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $616 in Kampala versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Kampala $616
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Kampala versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Kampala $940
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,263 in Kampala versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Kampala $1,263
Phuket $3,154

Living in Kampala costs roughly 52% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kampala 55% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.19 UGX 9,620

$4.47 ฿151

-51.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.69 UGX 99.5K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-29.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 UGX 29.9K

$8.81 ฿297

-22.59%

Cappuccino

$2.28 UGX 9,994

$2.83 ฿95.5

-19.43%

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

$0.32 UGX 1,389

$0.87 ฿29.43

-63.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 UGX 1,003

$0.49 ฿16.67

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 UGX 4,986

$2.56 ฿86.4

-55.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 UGX 7,418

$3.68 ฿124

-54.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 UGX 2,983

$1.66 ฿56.0

-59.04%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 UGX 3,522

$1.46 ฿49.35

-45.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 UGX 5,382

$1.50 ฿50.6

-18.00%

Eggs

$1.47 UGX 6,433

$2.09 ฿70.5

-29.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.93 UGX 17.3K

$19.07 ฿644

-79.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 UGX 17.4K

$3.30 ฿111

20.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.53 UGX 19.9K

$10.91 ฿368

-58.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 UGX 8,208

$2.93 ฿99.0

-36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 UGX 5,595

$1.69 ฿57.1

-24.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 UGX 5,041

$2.25 ฿75.8

-48.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 UGX 4,929

$2.08 ฿70.1

-46.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 UGX 4,999

$1.51 ฿51.0

-24.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 UGX 4,991

$1.38 ฿46.56

-17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 UGX 2,902

$1.07 ฿35.99

-38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 UGX 1,967

$0.52 ฿17.52

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 UGX 9,525

$4.20 ฿142

-48.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.80 UGX 29.8K

$18.79 ฿634

-63.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 UGX 4,457

$1.82 ฿61.5

-43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UGX 7,481

$2.84 ฿95.9

-39.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 UGX 3,007

$1.45 ฿49.03

-52.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.32 UGX 159.3K

$56.7 ฿1,913

-35.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.43 UGX 1,905

$3.02 ฿102

-85.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,272

$1.02 ฿34.36

-71.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 UGX 12.3K

$3.69 ฿125

-23.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 UGX 5,487

$1.47 ฿49.81

-14.97%

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

$6,811 UGX 29.9M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-74.56%

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

$6,696 UGX 29.4M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-74.91%

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

$64.4 UGX 282.4K

$96.4 ฿3,254

-33.17%

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

$10.73 UGX 47.1K

$11.26 ฿380

-4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.03 UGX 140.5K

$16.85 ฿569

90.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 UGX 223.4K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-24.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 UGX 23.5K

$10.73 ฿362

-50.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 UGX 30.1K

$7.50 ฿253

-8.40%

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

$260 UGX 1.1M

$476 ฿16.1K

-45.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,974 UGX 35.0M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-29.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.71 UGX 55.7K

$62.4 ฿2,106

-79.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.92 UGX 52.3K

$28.41 ฿959

-58.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.62 UGX 125.5K

$94.3 ฿3,184

-69.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.91 UGX 170.7K

$85.8 ฿2,898

-54.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 UGX 2.0M

$716 ฿24.2K

-36.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 UGX 662.8K

$491 ฿16.6K

-69.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,151 UGX 5.1M

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-40.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 UGX 1.2M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-81.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,194 UGX 5.2M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-71.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$922 UGX 4.0M

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-69.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$160 UGX 701.7K

$502 ฿17.0K

-68.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

5.57

272.53%

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

Last update for Kampala: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$151 24.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 225% $340

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$134 21.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 98.9% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$107 17.4%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 16.2% $17

Eating Out

Kampala

$77 12.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 58.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$65 10.5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 27.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$41 6.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 194% $80

Getting Around

Kampala

$41 6.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 72.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Kampala and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Kampala vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $134 vs $266 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

4 h ahead of Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,386 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD). 1 EUR = 4,882 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kampala Phuket 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Kampala
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Kampala. 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: $458 in Kampala versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Phuket. 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 $23 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $616 in Kampala versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kampala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.