Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lira and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Lira: $389 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.

19

Cost of Living Index in Lira
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Lira Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
Learn more

Kampala Living Index

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Lira

🇺🇬 Uganda

$389

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lira and in Kampala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $389 in Lira versus $643 in Kampala.

Lira $389
Kampala $643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $614 in Lira versus $981 in Kampala.

Lira $614
Kampala $981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $839 in Lira versus $1,320 in Kampala.

Lira $839
Kampala $1,320

Living in Lira costs roughly 40% less than in Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.32 UGX 9,929

$2.36 UGX 10.1K

-1.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 UGX 98.4K

$23.23 UGX 99.3K

-0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 UGX 30.5K

$7.17 UGX 30.6K

-0.56%

Cappuccino

$2.41 UGX 10.3K

$2.49 UGX 10.6K

-3.21%

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

$0.24 UGX 1,030

$0.37 UGX 1,568

-35.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 UGX 939

$0.24 UGX 1,024

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 UGX 3,038

$1.18 UGX 5,049

-39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 UGX 7,336

$1.78 UGX 7,623

-3.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 UGX 3,234

$0.76 UGX 3,269

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 UGX 3,605

$0.86 UGX 3,672

-2.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,282

$1.26 UGX 5,389

-1.59%

Eggs

$1.38 UGX 5,884

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.04 UGX 17.3K

$4.11 UGX 17.6K

-1.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 UGX 18.6K

$4.12 UGX 17.6K

5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 UGX 20.1K

$4.62 UGX 19.7K

1.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 UGX 8,627

$2.06 UGX 8,783

-1.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 UGX 5,754

$1.40 UGX 5,990

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 UGX 5,188

$1.25 UGX 5,334

-3.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 UGX 5,042

$1.20 UGX 5,128

-1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,118

$1.20 UGX 5,112

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,112

$1.24 UGX 5,299

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 UGX 2,976

$0.71 UGX 3,024

-1.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 UGX 2,144

$0.50 UGX 2,121

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 UGX 10.3K

$2.30 UGX 9,832

4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 UGX 30.6K

$7.19 UGX 30.7K

-0.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 UGX 4,466

$1.01 UGX 4,310

3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,589

$1.84 UGX 7,865

-3.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 3,089

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.73 UGX 161.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,092

$0.49 UGX 2,086

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 UGX 1,188

$0.30 UGX 1,293

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 UGX 12.4K

$2.94 UGX 12.6K

-1.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 UGX 6,054

$1.41 UGX 6,041

0.71%

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

$6,923 UGX 29.6M

$6,948 UGX 29.7M

-0.36%

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

$7,095 UGX 30.3M

$7,038 UGX 30.1M

0.81%

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

$65.4 UGX 279.7K

$64.9 UGX 277.3K

0.83%

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

$10.94 UGX 46.8K

$11.26 UGX 48.1K

-2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.40 UGX 142.7K

$33.28 UGX 142.2K

0.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 UGX 221.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.66 UGX 24.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.12 UGX 30.4K

$7.05 UGX 30.1K

0.99%

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

$259 UGX 1.1M

$262 UGX 1.1M

-1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K UGX 66.7M

$15.6K UGX 66.8M

-0.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.99 UGX 55.5K

$13.27 UGX 56.7K

-2.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.06 UGX 51.6K

$12.05 UGX 51.5K

0.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.89 UGX 132.0K

$30.16 UGX 128.9K

2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.89 UGX 179.0K

$41.28 UGX 176.4K

1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 UGX 2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 UGX 674.8K

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 720.8K

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 Lira: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kampala: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lira

$141 36.3%

Kampala

$141 22% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lira

$110 28.2%

Kampala

$109 17% 0.3% $0.4

Eating Out

Lira

$78 20%

Kampala

$82 12.8% 5.8% $4.5

Clothing & Footwear

Lira

$44 11.3%

Kampala

$44 6.8% 1.1% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Lira

$14 * 3.7%

Kampala

$66 10.3% 363% $52

Getting Around

Lira

$1.9 * 0.5%

Kampala

$43 6.6% 2167% $41

Accommodation & Living

Lira

- * 0%

Kampala

$158 24.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Lira

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

23:05 11:05 PM

Same time as Lira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,059

1,516,210 Capital

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.08 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Lira vs Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lira is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $583 in Lira and $964 in Kampala 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.

Childcare runs $259 in Lira versus $262 in Kampala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $389 per month in Lira versus $643 in Kampala – Lira is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Lira gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.