Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbarara and Cebu

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbarara: $504 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Mbarara
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Mbarara Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index

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Mbarara

🇺🇬 Uganda

$504

/mo nomad

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mbarara and in Cebu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $504 in Mbarara versus $918 in Cebu.

Mbarara $504
Cebu $918

Estimated couple costs with rent: $798 in Mbarara versus $1,409 in Cebu.

Mbarara $798
Cebu $1,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,093 in Mbarara versus $1,900 in Cebu.

Mbarara $1,093
Cebu $1,900

Living in Mbarara costs roughly 45% less than in Cebu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mbarara 63% lower, Cebu 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.48 UGX 10.2K

$3.09 ₱194

-19.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.03 UGX 102.9K

$24.22 ₱1,525

3.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 UGX 31.4K

$3.92 ₱247

94.90%

Cappuccino

$2.49 UGX 10.2K

$2.51 ₱158

-0.80%

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

$0.35 UGX 1,455

$1.59 ₱100

-77.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 UGX 1,165

$0.53 ₱33.43

-47.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 UGX 4,998

$1.78 ₱112

-31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 UGX 7,765

$2.17 ₱137

-12.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 UGX 2,012

$1.92 ₱121

-74.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 UGX 3,621

$1.36 ₱85.4

-35.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 UGX 5,239

$1.01 ₱63.5

25.74%

Eggs

$1.56 UGX 6,409

$2.03 ₱128

-23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 UGX 18.5K

$9.86 ₱621

-54.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 UGX 19.3K

$4.39 ₱277

6.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.42 UGX 14.1K

$7.60 ₱479

-55.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 UGX 8,662

$3.30 ₱208

-36.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 UGX 5,284

$1.39 ₱87.8

-7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 UGX 5,316

$2.33 ₱147

-44.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 UGX 4,820

$1.50 ₱94.3

-22.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 UGX 5,236

$2.36 ₱149

-46.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 UGX 5,007

$1.90 ₱119

-35.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 UGX 3,065

$1.19 ₱74.9

-36.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 UGX 2,149

$0.63 ₱39.71

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 UGX 10.0K

$3.00 ₱189

-18.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 UGX 29.9K

$6.03 ₱379

20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 UGX 4,363

$1.23 ₱77.7

-13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 UGX 8,042

$1.75 ₱110

12.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 UGX 3,030

$0.25 ₱15.86

196.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 UGX 1,975

$0.77 ₱48.62

-37.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 UGX 1,334

$0.23 ₱14.53

39.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 UGX 13.0K

$4.46 ₱281

-29.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 UGX 5,972

$1.31 ₱82.8

10.69%

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

$7,458 UGX 30.7M

$21.2K ₱1.3M

-64.89%

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

$7,349 UGX 30.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

-61.62%

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

$70.7 UGX 290.7K

$120 ₱7,569

-41.22%

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

$11.88 UGX 48.9K

$14.00 ₱882

-15.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 UGX 146.1K

$27.54 ₱1,734

28.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.93 UGX 77.9K

$32.33 ₱2,035

-41.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 UGX 31.0K

$5.65 ₱356

33.63%

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

$255 UGX 1.0M

$275 ₱17.3K

-7.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,455 UGX 34.8M

$7,918 ₱498.5K

6.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.07 UGX 57.9K

$49.33 ₱3,106

-71.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.15 UGX 54.1K

$25.24 ₱1,589

-47.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.11 UGX 132.1K

$77.0 ₱4,846

-58.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.20 UGX 181.8K

$57.2 ₱3,601

-22.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$85.9 UGX 353.5K

$500 ₱31.5K

-82.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.2 UGX 305.2K

$309 ₱19.4K

-75.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 UGX 981.4K

$1,078 ₱67.9K

-77.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 UGX 708.1K

$615 ₱38.7K

-72.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

7.2

188.19%

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

Last update for Mbarara: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbarara

$141 28%

Cebu

$206 22.4% 46.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbarara

$118 23.4%

Cebu

$162 17.6% 37% $44

Eating Out

Mbarara

$85 16.9%

Cebu

$88 9.6% 3.8% $3.3

Accommodation & Living

Mbarara

$74 14.7%

Cebu

$309 33.6% 316% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Mbarara

$47 9.3%

Cebu

$94 10.2% 102% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Mbarara

$34 6.8%

Cebu

$44 4.8% 28.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Mbarara

$5.1 * 1%

Cebu

$16 1.7% 208% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $85.9 in Mbarara and $500 in Cebu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Mbarara vs $24.00 in Cebu. Groceries flip the comparison at $141 vs $206, with Mbarara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Mbarara

🇵🇭 Cebu

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

12:08 12:08 PM

5 h ahead of Mbarara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,013

964,169

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mbarara Cebu 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Mbarara
Cebu

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

Mbarara vs Cebu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mbarara is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $755 in Mbarara and $1,377 in Cebu 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $85.9 in Mbarara versus $500 in Cebu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $504 per month in Mbarara versus $918 in Cebu – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

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

Safety-wise, Mbarara and Cebu 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 Mbarara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.