Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kampala Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kampala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $720 in Kampala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,098 in Kampala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,475 in Kampala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 215% more expensive than in Kampala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Kampala is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$2.63 UGX 10.2K

567.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$26.64 UGX 102.9K

142.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$7.64 UGX 29.5K

52.49%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.61 UGX 10.1K

24.90%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.42 UGX 1,638

492.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.28 UGX 1,072

496.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.35 UGX 5,217

157.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$1.82 UGX 7,042

96.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.78 UGX 3,023

51.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.00 UGX 3,864

95.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.34 UGX 5,181

16.42%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.51 UGX 5,848

165.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$4.69 UGX 18.1K

182.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.09 UGX 19.6K

65.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$5.30 UGX 20.5K

243.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.16 UGX 8,341

7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.17 UGX 4,507

47.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.35 UGX 5,214

42.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.24 UGX 4,806

112.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.32 UGX 5,082

43.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.36 UGX 5,247

55.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.78 UGX 3,014

84.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.56 UGX 2,161

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$2.58 UGX 9,976

171.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.10 UGX 31.3K

-26.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.08 UGX 4,172

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.98 UGX 7,652

8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.82 UGX 3,165

190.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$46.24 UGX 178.6K

-0.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.55 UGX 2,132

661.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.32 UGX 1,226

243.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$3.25 UGX 12.6K

431.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.41 UGX 5,452

59.57%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$7,845 UGX 30.3M

339.39%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$7,825 UGX 30.2M

431.85%

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

$171 €147

$74.2 UGX 286.6K

130.33%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$12.74 UGX 49.2K

49.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$37.59 UGX 145.2K

-8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$58.4 UGX 225.6K

-14.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$6.45 UGX 24.9K

202.48%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.84 UGX 30.3K

28.83%

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

$699 €603

$257 UGX 992.8K

172.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$8,416 UGX 32.5M

111.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$14.99 UGX 57.9K

597.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$13.77 UGX 53.2K

248.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$33.79 UGX 130.6K

201.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$46.41 UGX 179.3K

176.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$523 UGX 2.0M

217.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$181 UGX 697.8K

580.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,149 UGX 4.4M

153.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$335 UGX 1.3M

503.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,250 UGX 4.8M

550.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$983 UGX 3.8M

371.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$190 UGX 735.2K

750.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

20.75

-81.78%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Kampala: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $523 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 751% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $27.00 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $156 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 215% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 751% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $523 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% 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 $27.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $720 in Kampala versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 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.

For families, Kampala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kampala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 215% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.