Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbarara and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbarara and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $540 in Mbarara versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $874 in Mbarara versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,208 in Mbarara versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Mbarara costs roughly 76% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mbarara is 60% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 UGX 9,993

$16.19 €14.17

-83.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.47 UGX 97.9K

$63.3 €55.4

-58.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 UGX 31.2K

$10.32 €9.03

-18.41%

Cappuccino

$2.82 UGX 10.4K

$2.83 €2.48

-0.35%

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

$0.47 UGX 1,751

$2.29 €2.00

-79.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 UGX 1,160

$1.58 €1.38

-80.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 UGX 5,286

$3.40 €2.98

-57.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 UGX 10.2K

$4.03 €3.52

-31.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.54 UGX 2,000

$1.09 €0.95

-50.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 UGX 4,495

$1.75 €1.53

-30.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 UGX 5,088

$1.76 €1.54

-21.59%

Eggs

$1.84 UGX 6,792

$3.17 €2.77

-41.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.19 UGX 15.5K

$13.19 €11.54

-68.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.01 UGX 18.5K

$7.97 €6.97

-37.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.85 UGX 14.2K

$15.53 €13.59

-75.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UGX 10.3K

$2.37 €2.07

17.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 UGX 5,638

$1.71 €1.49

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 UGX 6,465

$2.01 €1.76

-12.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 UGX 5,729

$2.43 €2.13

-36.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 UGX 5,883

$1.76 €1.54

-9.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 UGX 7,096

$2.03 €1.78

-5.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 UGX 3,732

$1.92 €1.68

-47.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 UGX 2,160

$0.85 €0.74

-31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 UGX 11.0K

$6.58 €5.76

-54.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.60 UGX 31.8K

$5.58 €4.88

54.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 UGX 4,377

$1.33 €1.17

-11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 UGX 7,545

$2.97 €2.60

-31.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 UGX 3,201

$2.28 €1.99

-61.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.57 UGX 2,122

$4.23 €3.70

-86.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 UGX 1,038

$0.81 €0.71

-65.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 UGX 15.6K

$18.44 €16.13

-77.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 UGX 5,388

$2.08 €1.82

-29.81%

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

$9,083 UGX 33.6M

$34.7K €30.3K

-73.80%

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

$8,679 UGX 32.1M

$39.2K €34.3K

-77.83%

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

$41.67 UGX 154.1K

$148 €130

-71.85%

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

$14.62 UGX 54.1K

$20.46 €17.90

-28.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.35 UGX 164.0K

$39.56 €34.61

12.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.92 UGX 77.4K

$47.99 €41.99

-56.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$6.33 UGX 23.4K

$9.22 €8.07

-31.34%

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

$159 UGX 586.3K

$616 €539

-74.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,244 UGX 15.7M

$16.4K €14.4K

-74.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.09 UGX 63.2K

$103 €89.9

-83.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.38 UGX 53.2K

$41.74 €36.52

-65.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$38.10 UGX 140.9K

$94.8 €82.9

-59.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.31 UGX 175.0K

$122 €107

-61.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$97.4 UGX 360.2K

$1,633 €1,428

-94.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.6 UGX 309.3K

$1,232 €1,078

-93.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 UGX 964.1K

$3,098 €2,711

-91.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 UGX 710.0K

$2,031 €1,777

-90.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.8

3.81

445.93%

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

Last update for Mbarara: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $97.4 in Mbarara and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $26.00 in Mbarara vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $267 per month, with Mbarara cheaper across the board.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mbarara and Lisbon differ by about 324% in total monthly costs ($540 vs $2,291 including rent). Mbarara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $810 in Mbarara and $3,437 in Lisbon 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: $97.4 in Mbarara versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $540 per month in Mbarara versus $2,291 in Lisbon – a 324% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $540 in Mbarara versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mbarara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mbarara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Mbarara and Lisbon 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 324% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.