Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbarara and Gulu

For one person, living is cheaper in Gulu: $114 a month against $488 in Mbarara, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mbarara
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Mbarara Living Index

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Mbarara

🇺🇬 Uganda

$488

/mo nomad

Gulu

🇺🇬 Uganda

$114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mbarara and in Gulu

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 Gulu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $488 in Mbarara versus $114 in Gulu.

Mbarara $488
Gulu $114

Estimated couple costs with rent: $776 in Mbarara versus $167 in Gulu.

Mbarara $776
Gulu $167

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Mbarara versus $219 in Gulu.

Mbarara $1,063
Gulu $219

Living in Mbarara is roughly 328% more expensive than in Gulu.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mbarara 64% lower, Gulu 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 UGX 10.3K

$1.22 UGX 5,362

92.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 UGX 107.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 UGX 31.0K

$10.93 UGX 47.9K

-35.32%

Cappuccino

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

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

$0.34 UGX 1,502

$0.25 UGX 1,098

36.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 UGX 1,190

$0.10 UGX 447

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 UGX 5,332

$0.74 UGX 3,227

64.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 UGX 8,018

$2.48 UGX 10.9K

-26.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 UGX 2,177

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 UGX 4,083

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 UGX 5,130

Eggs

$1.53 UGX 6,682

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.23 UGX 18.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 UGX 19.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 UGX 15.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 UGX 8,780

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,434

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,706

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 UGX 5,199

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 UGX 5,389

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 UGX 5,125

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 UGX 3,158

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 UGX 2,218

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 UGX 32.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 UGX 4,730

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 UGX 7,949

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 UGX 3,056

$0.93 UGX 4,067

-24.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.56 UGX 125.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 UGX 2,035

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,266

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 UGX 13.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 UGX 5,981

$1.19 UGX 5,190

15.13%

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

$7,154 UGX 31.3M

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

$7,202 UGX 31.5M

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

$69.2 UGX 302.9K

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

$11.20 UGX 49.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.55 UGX 146.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.82 UGX 78.0K

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 UGX 31.3K

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

$247 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,140 UGX 35.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.66 UGX 59.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.69 UGX 55.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.67 UGX 138.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.04 UGX 184.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$83.7 UGX 366.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.0 UGX 319.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 UGX 1.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 UGX 749.8K

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 Mbarara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gulu: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbarara

$138 28.3%

Gulu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbarara

$114 23.3%

Gulu

–

Eating Out

Mbarara

$81 16.7%

Gulu

–

Accommodation & Living

Mbarara

$73 14.9%

Gulu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mbarara

$45 9.2%

Gulu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mbarara

$32 6.6%

Gulu

–

Getting Around

Mbarara

$4.7 * 1%

Gulu

–

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Mbarara

🇺🇬 Gulu

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

Same time as Mbarara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,013

152,276

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mbarara Gulu 420 km

From you

Mbarara
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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

Mbarara vs Gulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $488 in Mbarara and $114 in Gulu, so Gulu is about 77% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $732 in Mbarara and $171 in Gulu 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.

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