Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kasese and Mbarara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kasese: $186 a month against $488 in Mbarara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mbarara
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Mbarara Living Index

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Kasese

🇺🇬 Uganda

$186

/mo nomad

Mbarara

🇺🇬 Uganda

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kasese and in Mbarara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kasese and in Mbarara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $186 per month in Kasese vs $488 in Mbarara, rent included.

Kasese $186
Mbarara $488

A couple spends around $297 per month in Kasese vs $776 in Mbarara, rent included.

Kasese $297
Mbarara $776

A family of three spends $408 per month in Kasese vs $1,063 in Mbarara, rent included.

Kasese $408
Mbarara $1,063

Kasese is about 62% cheaper than Mbarara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kasese and Mbarara are more affordable than the global median – Kasese 86% lower, Mbarara 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.65 UGX 7,241

$2.35 UGX 10.3K

-29.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 UGX 107.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 UGX 31.0K

Cappuccino

$2.45 UGX 10.8K

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

0.82%

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

$0.34 UGX 1,509

$0.34 UGX 1,502

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 UGX 1,004

$0.27 UGX 1,190

-14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.70 UGX 3,077

$1.22 UGX 5,332

-42.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 UGX 8,018

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 UGX 2,177

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 UGX 4,158

$0.93 UGX 4,083

2.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 UGX 3,752

$1.17 UGX 5,130

-26.50%

Eggs

$2.59 UGX 11.3K

$1.53 UGX 6,682

69.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.23 UGX 18.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.78 UGX 20.9K

$4.51 UGX 19.7K

5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.65 UGX 16.0K

$3.46 UGX 15.1K

5.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 UGX 10.3K

$2.00 UGX 8,780

18.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,434

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,706

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 UGX 2,040

$1.19 UGX 5,199

-60.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 UGX 2,152

$1.23 UGX 5,389

-60.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 UGX 2,034

$1.17 UGX 5,125

-60.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 UGX 3,158

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 UGX 2,151

$0.51 UGX 2,218

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 UGX 15.5K

$7.39 UGX 32.4K

-51.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 UGX 4,730

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 UGX 7,949

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 UGX 3,056

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 UGX 2,035

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,266

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 UGX 13.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 UGX 5,981

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

$7,154 UGX 31.3M

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

$7,202 UGX 31.5M

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

$69.2 UGX 302.9K

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

$12.25 UGX 53.6K

$11.20 UGX 49.1K

9.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.55 UGX 146.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.50 UGX 107.3K

$17.82 UGX 78.0K

37.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 UGX 31.3K

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

$247 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,140 UGX 35.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.83 UGX 51.8K

$13.66 UGX 59.8K

-13.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.69 UGX 55.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.67 UGX 138.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$16.53 UGX 72.4K

$42.04 UGX 184.2K

-60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$83.7 UGX 366.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.0 UGX 319.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 UGX 1.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 UGX 749.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$361 UGX 1.6M

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 Kasese: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mbarara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kasese

–

Mbarara

$138 28.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kasese

–

Mbarara

$114 23.3%

Eating Out

Kasese

–

Mbarara

$81 16.7%

Accommodation & Living

Kasese

–

Mbarara

$73 14.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Kasese

–

Mbarara

$45 9.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Kasese

–

Mbarara

$32 6.6%

Getting Around

Kasese

–

Mbarara

$4.7 * 1%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Kasese

🇺🇬 Mbarara

🕒 Local time

08:25 8:25 AM

Same time as Kasese

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,679

195,013

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Kasese Mbarara 110 km

From you

Kasese
Mbarara

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

Kasese vs Mbarara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mbarara is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $278 per month in Kasese and $732 in Mbarara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $186 in Kasese and $488 in Mbarara. That makes Kasese about 62% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Mbarara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $186 in Kasese and $488 in Mbarara, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.