Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbarara and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbarara: $488 a month against $616 in Kampala, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mbarara
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Mbarara Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
Learn more

Kampala Living Index

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Mbarara

🇺🇬 Uganda

$488

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $488 in Mbarara versus $616 in Kampala.

Mbarara $488
Kampala $616

Estimated couple costs with rent: $776 in Mbarara versus $940 in Kampala.

Mbarara $776
Kampala $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Mbarara versus $1,263 in Kampala.

Mbarara $1,063
Kampala $1,263

Living in Mbarara costs roughly 21% less than in Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mbarara 64% lower, Kampala 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 UGX 10.3K

$2.19 UGX 9,606

7.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 UGX 107.0K

$22.69 UGX 99.4K

7.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 UGX 31.0K

$6.82 UGX 29.9K

3.67%

Cappuccino

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

$2.28 UGX 9,980

6.58%

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

$0.34 UGX 1,502

$0.32 UGX 1,387

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 UGX 1,190

$0.23 UGX 1,002

17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 UGX 5,332

$1.14 UGX 4,979

7.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 UGX 8,018

$1.69 UGX 7,407

8.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 UGX 2,177

$0.68 UGX 2,978

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 UGX 4,083

$0.80 UGX 3,517

16.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 UGX 5,130

$1.23 UGX 5,374

-4.88%

Eggs

$1.53 UGX 6,682

$1.47 UGX 6,424

4.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.23 UGX 18.5K

$3.93 UGX 17.2K

7.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 UGX 19.7K

$3.97 UGX 17.4K

13.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 UGX 15.1K

$4.53 UGX 19.8K

-23.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 UGX 8,780

$1.87 UGX 8,196

6.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,434

$1.28 UGX 5,587

-3.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,706

$1.15 UGX 5,034

13.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 UGX 5,199

$1.12 UGX 4,922

6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 UGX 5,389

$1.14 UGX 4,991

7.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 UGX 5,125

$1.14 UGX 4,983

2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 UGX 3,158

$0.66 UGX 2,898

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 UGX 2,218

$0.45 UGX 1,964

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

$2.17 UGX 9,512

11.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 UGX 32.4K

$6.80 UGX 29.8K

8.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 UGX 4,730

$1.02 UGX 4,451

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 UGX 7,949

$1.71 UGX 7,471

5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 UGX 3,056

$0.69 UGX 3,002

1.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.32 UGX 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 UGX 2,035

$0.43 UGX 1,902

6.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,266

$0.29 UGX 1,270

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 UGX 13.3K

$2.81 UGX 12.3K

7.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 UGX 5,981

$1.25 UGX 5,479

9.60%

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

$7,154 UGX 31.3M

$6,811 UGX 29.8M

5.03%

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

$7,202 UGX 31.5M

$6,696 UGX 29.3M

7.56%

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

$69.2 UGX 302.9K

$64.4 UGX 282.0K

7.39%

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

$11.20 UGX 49.1K

$10.73 UGX 47.0K

4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.55 UGX 146.9K

$32.03 UGX 140.3K

4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.82 UGX 78.0K

$50.9 UGX 223.1K

-65.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 UGX 23.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 UGX 31.3K

$6.87 UGX 30.1K

4.08%

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

$247 UGX 1.1M

$260 UGX 1.1M

-5.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,140 UGX 35.7M

$7,974 UGX 34.9M

2.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.66 UGX 59.8K

$12.71 UGX 55.7K

7.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.69 UGX 55.6K

$11.92 UGX 52.2K

6.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.67 UGX 138.7K

$28.62 UGX 125.4K

10.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.04 UGX 184.2K

$38.91 UGX 170.4K

8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$83.7 UGX 366.4K

$458 UGX 2.0M

-81.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.0 UGX 319.5K

$151 UGX 661.9K

-51.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 UGX 1.0M

$1,151 UGX 5.0M

-79.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 UGX 749.8K

$269 UGX 1.2M

-36.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,194 UGX 5.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$922 UGX 4.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$160 UGX 700.7K

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 Kampala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbarara

$138 28.3%

Kampala

$134 21.7% 3.1% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbarara

$114 23.3%

Kampala

$107 17.4% 5.9% $6.7

Eating Out

Mbarara

$81 16.7%

Kampala

$77 12.4% 5.9% $4.8

Accommodation & Living

Mbarara

$73 14.9%

Kampala

$151 24.5% 107% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Mbarara

$45 9.2%

Kampala

$41 6.7% 7.9% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Mbarara

$32 6.6%

Kampala

$65 10.5% 101% $33

Getting Around

Mbarara

$4.7 * 1%

Kampala

$41 6.7% 771% $36

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 $84 in Mbarara and $458 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24 in Mbarara vs $23 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $138 vs $134 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Mbarara

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Mbarara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,013

1,516,210 Capital

💱 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 Kampala 240 km

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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 Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mbarara is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $732 in Mbarara and $924 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $84 in Mbarara versus $458 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $247 in Mbarara versus $260 in Kampala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

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.

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.