Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Soroti and Busia, Uganda

Name: Busia
Address: Busia, UG

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $67.7 a month against $382 in Soroti, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Soroti
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Soroti Living Index

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Soroti

🇺🇬 Uganda

$382

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$67.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Soroti and in Busia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $382 in Soroti versus $68 in Busia.

Soroti $382
Busia $68

Estimated couple costs with rent: $600 in Soroti versus $112 in Busia.

Soroti $600
Busia $112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $818 in Soroti versus $155 in Busia.

Soroti $818
Busia $155

Living in Soroti is roughly 464% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Soroti 72% lower, Busia 95% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 UGX 9,913

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.94 UGX 96.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 UGX 30.0K

Cappuccino

$2.47 UGX 10.4K

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

$0.36 UGX 1,521

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 UGX 1,002

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 UGX 5,005

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 UGX 7,228

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 UGX 3,179

$0.27 UGX 1,131

177.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 UGX 3,638

$1.15 UGX 4,867

-25.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 UGX 4,106

Eggs

$1.41 UGX 5,947

$1.38 UGX 5,831

2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.22 UGX 17.8K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 UGX 18.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.79 UGX 11.8K

$3.60 UGX 15.2K

-22.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 UGX 8,482

$2.28 UGX 9,631

-11.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 UGX 5,761

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,277

Tomato (1kg)

$0.68 UGX 2,868

$0.69 UGX 2,894

-1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 UGX 2,053

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,041

$1.44 UGX 6,055

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 UGX 2,919

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 UGX 2,082

$0.24 UGX 1,013

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 UGX 9,802

$1.03 UGX 4,352

125.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 UGX 30.3K

$4.79 UGX 20.2K

50.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 UGX 4,412

$0.92 UGX 3,875

14.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 UGX 7,809

$1.19 UGX 5,013

55.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 UGX 2,026

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 UGX 1,275

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 UGX 12.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 UGX 5,885

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

$7,086 UGX 29.9M

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

$7,112 UGX 30.0M

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

$66.3 UGX 279.4K

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

$10.89 UGX 45.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.17 UGX 139.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 UGX 28.9K

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

$264 UGX 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K UGX 67.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.32 UGX 56.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.06 UGX 50.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.60 UGX 129.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.24 UGX 173.9K

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 Soroti: November 2, 2026

Last update for Busia: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Soroti

$131 34.2%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Soroti

$110 28.9%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Soroti

$82 21.3%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Soroti

$44 11.5%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Soroti

$14 * 3.6%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Soroti

$2 * 0.5%

Busia

–

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

Good to know

🇺🇬 Soroti

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

11:02 11:02 AM

Same time as Soroti

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,900

64,900

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Soroti vs Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Soroti. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $573 in Soroti and $102 in Busia 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Soroti. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $382 per month in Soroti versus $68 in Busia – Busia is about 82% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Busia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.