Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbarara and Kasese

For one person, living is cheaper in Kasese: $186 a month against $488 in Mbarara, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

Kasese

🇺🇬 Uganda

$186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mbarara and in Kasese

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

A single person spends $488 per month in Mbarara vs $186 in Kasese, rent included.

Mbarara $488
Kasese $186

A couple spends around $776 per month in Mbarara vs $297 in Kasese, rent included.

Mbarara $776
Kasese $297

A family of three spends $1,063 per month in Mbarara vs $408 in Kasese, rent included.

Mbarara $1,063
Kasese $408

Mbarara costs about 163% more than Kasese, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mbarara and Kasese are more affordable than the global median – Mbarara 64% lower, Kasese 86% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 UGX 10.3K

$1.65 UGX 7,251

42.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.42 UGX 107.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 UGX 31.0K

Cappuccino

$2.43 UGX 10.7K

$2.45 UGX 10.8K

-0.82%

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

$0.34 UGX 1,504

$0.34 UGX 1,511

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 UGX 1,191

$0.23 UGX 1,006

17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 UGX 5,340

$0.70 UGX 3,081

74.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 UGX 8,029

Milk (1 liter)

$0.50 UGX 2,180

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 UGX 4,089

$0.95 UGX 4,164

-2.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 UGX 5,138

$0.86 UGX 3,758

36.05%

Eggs

$1.53 UGX 6,691

$2.59 UGX 11.3K

-40.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.23 UGX 18.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.51 UGX 19.8K

$4.78 UGX 21.0K

-5.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.46 UGX 15.2K

$3.65 UGX 16.0K

-5.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 UGX 8,792

$2.36 UGX 10.3K

-15.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,442

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 UGX 5,714

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 UGX 5,207

$0.47 UGX 2,043

153.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 UGX 5,397

$0.49 UGX 2,155

151.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 UGX 5,133

$0.46 UGX 2,037

154.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 UGX 3,163

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 UGX 2,221

$0.49 UGX 2,154

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 UGX 10.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 UGX 32.4K

$3.55 UGX 15.6K

108.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 UGX 4,736

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 UGX 7,960

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 UGX 3,060

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 UGX 2,038

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 UGX 1,268

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 UGX 13.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 UGX 5,990

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

$7,154 UGX 31.4M

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

$7,202 UGX 31.6M

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

$69.2 UGX 303.3K

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

$11.20 UGX 49.1K

$12.25 UGX 53.7K

-8.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.55 UGX 147.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.82 UGX 78.1K

$24.50 UGX 107.4K

-27.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 UGX 31.4K

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 59.9K

$11.83 UGX 51.9K

15.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.69 UGX 55.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$31.67 UGX 138.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.04 UGX 184.4K

$16.53 UGX 72.5K

154.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$83.7 UGX 367.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.0 UGX 320.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 UGX 1.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 UGX 750.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$361 UGX 1.6M

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 Kasese: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbarara

$138 28.3%

Kasese

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbarara

$114 23.3%

Kasese

–

Eating Out

Mbarara

$81 16.7%

Kasese

–

Accommodation & Living

Mbarara

$73 14.9%

Kasese

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mbarara

$45 9.2%

Kasese

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mbarara

$32 6.6%

Kasese

–

Getting Around

Mbarara

$4.7 * 1%

Kasese

–

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Mbarara

🇺🇬 Kasese

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Mbarara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,013

101,679

💱 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

On the map

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Mbarara Kasese 110 km

From you

Mbarara
Kasese

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 Kasese: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mbarara is pricier by about 163%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $732 per month in Mbarara and $278 in Kasese. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $488 in Mbarara and $186 in Kasese. That makes Kasese about 62% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Mbarara, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $488 in Mbarara and $186 in Kasese, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.