Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masindi and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Masindi: $394 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 Masindi
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Masindi Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
Learn more

Kampala Living Index

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Masindi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$394

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $394 in Masindi versus $643 in Kampala.

Masindi $394
Kampala $643

Estimated couple costs with rent: $621 in Masindi versus $981 in Kampala.

Masindi $621
Kampala $981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $849 in Masindi versus $1,320 in Kampala.

Masindi $849
Kampala $1,320

Living in Masindi costs roughly 39% less than in Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 UGX 10.0K

$2.36 UGX 9,965

0.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.57 UGX 99.4K

$23.23 UGX 98.0K

1.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 UGX 28.7K

$7.17 UGX 30.2K

-5.02%

Cappuccino

$2.46 UGX 10.4K

$2.49 UGX 10.5K

-1.20%

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

$0.34 UGX 1,421

$0.37 UGX 1,548

-8.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 UGX 1,105

$0.24 UGX 1,011

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 UGX 5,068

$1.18 UGX 4,983

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,488

$1.78 UGX 7,523

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 UGX 3,394

$0.76 UGX 3,226

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 UGX 3,435

$0.86 UGX 3,624

-5.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,222

$1.26 UGX 5,319

-1.59%

Eggs

$1.41 UGX 5,967

$1.38 UGX 5,807

2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 UGX 17.2K

$4.11 UGX 17.4K

-0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 UGX 18.2K

$4.12 UGX 17.4K

4.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.57 UGX 19.3K

$4.62 UGX 19.5K

-1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 UGX 8,603

$2.06 UGX 8,668

-0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 UGX 5,880

$1.40 UGX 5,912

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,073

$1.25 UGX 5,264

-4.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,221

$1.20 UGX 5,061

3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,042

$1.20 UGX 5,045

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,289

$1.24 UGX 5,229

0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 UGX 3,131

$0.71 UGX 2,984

4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 UGX 2,070

$0.50 UGX 2,094

-2.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 UGX 9,743

$2.30 UGX 9,704

0.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 UGX 29.4K

$7.19 UGX 30.3K

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 UGX 4,238

$1.01 UGX 4,254

-0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 UGX 7,475

$1.84 UGX 7,762

-3.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 UGX 3,049

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.73 UGX 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,051

$0.49 UGX 2,058

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 UGX 1,172

$0.30 UGX 1,276

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 UGX 12.0K

$2.94 UGX 12.4K

-3.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 UGX 5,940

$1.41 UGX 5,962

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

$6,986 UGX 29.5M

$6,948 UGX 29.3M

0.56%

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

$6,992 UGX 29.5M

$7,038 UGX 29.7M

-0.65%

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

$67.4 UGX 284.4K

$64.9 UGX 273.7K

3.90%

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

$10.93 UGX 46.1K

$11.26 UGX 47.5K

-2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.25 UGX 140.2K

$33.28 UGX 140.3K

-0.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 UGX 218.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.66 UGX 23.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 UGX 29.9K

$7.05 UGX 29.7K

0.43%

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

$263 UGX 1.1M

$262 UGX 1.1M

0.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K UGX 67.5M

$15.6K UGX 65.9M

2.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.33 UGX 56.2K

$13.27 UGX 56.0K

0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.33 UGX 52.0K

$12.05 UGX 50.8K

2.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.68 UGX 129.4K

$30.16 UGX 127.2K

1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.51 UGX 170.8K

$41.28 UGX 174.1K

-1.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 UGX 1.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 UGX 665.9K

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 711.3K

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 Masindi: 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

Masindi

$141 35.9%

Kampala

$141 22% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masindi

$112 28.4%

Kampala

$109 17% 2% $2.2

Eating Out

Masindi

$81 20.6%

Kampala

$82 12.8% 1.6% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Masindi

$44 11.1%

Kampala

$44 6.8% 0.1% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Masindi

$14 * 3.6%

Kampala

$66 10.3% 366% $52

Getting Around

Masindi

$1.9 * 0.5%

Kampala

$43 6.6% 2167% $41

Accommodation & Living

Masindi

- * 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: $24 in Masindi vs $23 in Kampala. Groceries flip the comparison at $141 vs $141, with Masindi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Masindi

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

Same time as Masindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,622

1,516,210 Capital

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Masindi vs Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masindi is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $590 in Masindi 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampala – a meal for two runs $23 versus $24 in Masindi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $263 in Masindi versus $262 in Kampala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

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.