Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kampala and Sofia

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $643 a month against $1,585 in Sofia, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 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
76

Cost of Living Index in Sofia
Learn more

Sofia Living Index

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Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$643

/mo nomad

Sofia

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$1,585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kampala and in Sofia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $643 in Kampala versus $1,585 in Sofia.

Kampala $643
Sofia $1,585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $981 in Kampala versus $2,486 in Sofia.

Kampala $981
Sofia $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,320 in Kampala versus $3,387 in Sofia.

Kampala $1,320
Sofia $3,387

Living in Kampala costs roughly 59% less than in Sofia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kampala is 52% below, Sofia is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.36 UGX 9,541

$16.57 BGN 28.84

-85.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.23 UGX 93.8K

$67.7 BGN 118

-65.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.17 UGX 29.0K

$11.68 BGN 20.33

-38.61%

Cappuccino

$2.49 UGX 10.0K

$3.41 BGN 5.93

-26.98%

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

$0.37 UGX 1,482

$2.36 BGN 4.11

-84.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 968

$1.67 BGN 2.91

-85.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 UGX 4,771

$3.99 BGN 6.94

-70.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,203

$4.53 BGN 7.88

-60.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,089

$1.94 BGN 3.38

-60.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UGX 3,470

$1.55 BGN 2.70

-44.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 UGX 5,092

$2.35 BGN 4.09

-46.38%

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,560

$4.60 BGN 8.00

-70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 UGX 16.6K

$11.47 BGN 19.96

-64.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 UGX 16.6K

$8.65 BGN 15.04

-52.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 UGX 18.6K

$17.34 BGN 30.17

-73.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 UGX 8,299

$2.15 BGN 3.73

-4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 UGX 5,660

$1.98 BGN 3.45

-29.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,040

$1.83 BGN 3.18

-31.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 4,845

$4.27 BGN 7.43

-71.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 4,831

$1.04 BGN 1.82

15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,007

$0.89 BGN 1.54

39.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 UGX 2,857

$1.19 BGN 2.06

-40.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,004

$0.83 BGN 1.45

-39.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 UGX 9,291

$4.40 BGN 7.66

-47.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 UGX 29.0K

$7.42 BGN 12.91

-3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 UGX 4,073

$1.16 BGN 2.01

-12.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 UGX 7,432

$1.90 BGN 3.30

-3.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 2,919

$0.92 BGN 1.60

-21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.73 UGX 152.3K

$28.11 BGN 48.91

34.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 1,971

$1.67 BGN 2.90

-70.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,222

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 UGX 11.9K

$16.59 BGN 28.87

-82.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 UGX 5,709

$1.74 BGN 3.03

-18.97%

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

$6,948 UGX 28.1M

$29.9K BGN 52.1K

-76.79%

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

$7,038 UGX 28.4M

$25.0K BGN 43.5K

-71.86%

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

$64.9 UGX 262.0K

$158 BGN 275

-58.89%

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

$11.26 UGX 45.5K

$21.27 BGN 37.01

-47.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.28 UGX 134.4K

$15.12 BGN 26.30

120.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 UGX 209.5K

$46.85 BGN 81.5

10.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.66 UGX 22.8K

$27.82 BGN 48.41

-79.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 UGX 28.5K

$10.00 BGN 17.39

-29.50%

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

$262 UGX 1.1M

$815 BGN 1,419

-67.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K UGX 63.1M

$14.6K BGN 25.5K

6.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.27 UGX 53.6K

$87.1 BGN 152

-84.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.05 UGX 48.7K

$38.28 BGN 66.6

-68.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.16 UGX 121.8K

$106 BGN 184

-71.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.28 UGX 166.7K

$107 BGN 187

-61.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 UGX 1.9M

$769 BGN 1,338

-40.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 UGX 637.6K

$593 BGN 1,032

-73.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 UGX 4.8M

$1,530 BGN 2,662

-21.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 UGX 1.1M

$1,061 BGN 1,846

-73.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,224 UGX 4.9M

$4,526 BGN 7,875

-72.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 UGX 3.8M

$3,109 BGN 5,410

-69.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 UGX 681.1K

$1,780 BGN 3,098

-90.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

2.89

617.99%

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

Last update for Kampala: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sofia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kampala

$158 24.6%

Sofia

$593 37.4% 276% $435

Groceries & Markets

Kampala

$141 22%

Sofia

$288 18.2% 104% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kampala

$109 17%

Sofia

$194 12.3% 77.5% $85

Eating Out

Kampala

$82 12.8%

Sofia

$254 16% 209% $171

Sport & Entertainment

Kampala

$66 10.3%

Sofia

$67 4.2% 1.3% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Kampala

$44 6.8%

Sofia

$152 9.6% 250% $109

Getting Around

Kampala

$43 6.6%

Sofia

$38 2.4% 11.5% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $460 in Kampala and $769 in Sofia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sofia pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Kampala vs $68 in Sofia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $141 vs $288 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kampala

🇧🇬 Sofia

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

07:31 7:31 AM

1 h behind Kampala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,516,210 Capital

1,286,383 Capital

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.48 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4,038 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.48 USD). 1 EUR = 4,533 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.21 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kampala Sofia 4,800 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kampala
Sofia

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 Sofia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is about 59% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% 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: $460 in Kampala versus $769 in Sofia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Sofia. 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 $68 in Sofia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $643 in Kampala versus $1,585 in Sofia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Sofia. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Kampala wins on affordability, Sofia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.