Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $616 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
Learn more

Kampala Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon 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 Lisbon and in Kampala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $616 in Kampala.

Lisbon $2,210
Kampala $616

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $940 in Kampala.

Lisbon $3,275
Kampala $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,263 in Kampala.

Lisbon $4,341
Kampala $1,263

Living in Lisbon is roughly 259% more expensive than in Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Kampala is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.96

$2.19 UGX 9,620

660.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$22.69 UGX 99.5K

172.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$6.82 UGX 29.9K

66.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$2.28 UGX 9,994

30.26%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$0.32 UGX 1,389

615.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.23 UGX 1,003

656.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$1.14 UGX 4,986

198.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$1.69 UGX 7,418

95.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.68 UGX 2,983

70.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$0.80 UGX 3,522

138.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.23 UGX 5,382

22.76%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$1.47 UGX 6,433

173.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$3.93 UGX 17.3K

229.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.99

$3.97 UGX 17.4K

95.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.96

$4.53 UGX 19.9K

292.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$1.87 UGX 8,208

22.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.28 UGX 5,595

35.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$1.15 UGX 5,041

61.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$1.12 UGX 4,929

131.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$1.14 UGX 4,999

59.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.14 UGX 4,991

72.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.66 UGX 2,902

122.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.45 UGX 1,967

60.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.92

$2.17 UGX 9,525

203.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$6.80 UGX 29.8K

-17.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.02 UGX 4,457

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$1.71 UGX 7,481

25.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$0.69 UGX 3,007

237.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$36.32 UGX 159.3K

23.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$0.43 UGX 1,905

795.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.29 UGX 1,272

268.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$2.81 UGX 12.3K

485.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.25 UGX 5,487

76.00%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$6,811 UGX 29.9M

401.96%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$6,696 UGX 29.4M

478.28%

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

$161 €145

$64.4 UGX 282.4K

150.38%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$10.73 UGX 47.1K

71.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$32.03 UGX 140.5K

2.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.03

$50.9 UGX 223.4K

-12.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$5.36 UGX 23.5K

256.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$6.87 UGX 30.1K

39.74%

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

$668 €600

$260 UGX 1.1M

156.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$7,974 UGX 35.0M

120.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.7

$12.71 UGX 55.7K

702.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.95

$11.92 UGX 52.3K

272.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$28.62 UGX 125.5K

244.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$38.91 UGX 170.7K

217.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$458 UGX 2.0M

251.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$151 UGX 662.8K

687.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,527

$1,151 UGX 5.1M

144.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,809

$269 UGX 1.2M

648.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,043

$1,194 UGX 5.2M

556.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,111

$922 UGX 4.0M

396.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$160 UGX 701.7K

884.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

20.75

-81.45%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Kampala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Kampala

$151 24.5% 87.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Kampala

$134 21.7% 50.9% $138

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Kampala

$77 12.4% 68.4% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Kampala

$107 17.4% 49.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Kampala

$41 6.7% 75% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Kampala

$65 10.5% 1.5% $0.9

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Kampala

$41 6.7% 35.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $458 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 9.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $23 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $134 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

14:03 2:03 PM

3 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,516,210 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

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).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Kampala 6,020 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Kampala

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

Lisbon vs Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 259% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Lisbon is about 9.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $458 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 103% higher in Lisbon. 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 $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $616 in Kampala versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. 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 72% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.