Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uganda and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Uganda: $574 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Uganda
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Uganda Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇺🇬 Uganda

$574

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Uganda and in the United States

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

A single person spends $574 per month in Uganda vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Uganda $574
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $889 per month in Uganda vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Uganda $889
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $1,203 per month in Uganda vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Uganda $1,203
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Uganda ($69–$616), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Uganda is roughly 79% lower than in the United States on average.

Uganda sits 58% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 UGX 9,408

$20.03 $20.03

-89.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.01 UGX 95.6K

$80.0 $80.0

-72.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 UGX 28.9K

$11.80 $11.80

-43.56%

Cappuccino

$2.16 UGX 9,371

$5.55 $5.55

-61.08%

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

$0.30 UGX 1,320

$2.66 $2.66

-88.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.22 UGX 953

$2.17 $2.17

-89.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 UGX 3,981

$6.12 $6.12

-84.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 UGX 6,690

$7.94 $7.94

-80.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.66 UGX 2,849

$1.04 $1.04

-36.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 UGX 3,859

$3.59 $3.59

-75.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 UGX 4,688

$4.52 $4.52

-76.11%

Eggs

$1.55 UGX 6,733

$4.28 $4.28

-63.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 UGX 19.4K

$13.22 $13.22

-66.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 UGX 18.0K

$12.60 $12.60

-67.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.99 UGX 17.3K

$17.60 $17.60

-77.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 UGX 8,631

$5.30 $5.30

-62.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 UGX 5,314

$1.69 $1.69

-27.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 UGX 5,149

$4.44 $4.44

-73.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 UGX 4,525

$4.77 $4.77

-78.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 UGX 4,573

$2.97 $2.97

-64.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 UGX 4,477

$3.15 $3.15

-67.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 UGX 2,937

$2.20 $2.20

-69.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 UGX 1,897

$2.35 $2.35

-81.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 UGX 9,542

$10.98 $10.98

-79.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 UGX 29.8K

$15.05 $15.05

-54.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 UGX 4,489

$2.06 $2.06

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 UGX 7,300

$3.79 $3.79

-55.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 UGX 2,799

$1.94 $1.94

-67.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.76 UGX 146.7K

$59.4 $59.4

-43.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.43 UGX 1,889

$3.58 $3.58

-87.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 UGX 908

$1.88 $1.88

-88.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 UGX 12.2K

$29.84 $29.84

-90.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 UGX 5,413

$1.02 $1.02

22.55%

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

$6,633 UGX 28.8M

$28.8K $28.8K

-76.93%

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

$6,570 UGX 28.5M

$26.2K $26.2K

-74.93%

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

$58.3 UGX 253.4K

$218 $218

-73.24%

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

$11.18 UGX 48.6K

$62.5 $62.5

-82.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.30 UGX 144.7K

$74.5 $74.5

-55.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 UGX 146.5K

$41.86 $41.86

-19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.25 UGX 22.8K

$22.81 $22.81

-76.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 UGX 29.0K

$14.70 $14.70

-54.56%

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

$242 UGX 1.1M

$1,489 $1,489

-83.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,257 UGX 18.5M

$25.3K $25.3K

-83.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.93 UGX 56.2K

$54.3 $54.3

-76.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.71 UGX 50.9K

$42.71 $42.71

-72.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.31 UGX 123.0K

$94.1 $94.1

-69.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.11 UGX 143.9K

$114 $114

-70.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 UGX 1.6M

$1,659 $1,659

-77.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 UGX 609.2K

$1,348 $1,348

-89.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,050 UGX 4.6M

$2,682 $2,682

-60.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 UGX 1.2M

$2,169 $2,169

-87.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,183 UGX 5.1M

$3,283 $3,283

-63.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$927 UGX 4.0M

$2,482 $2,482

-62.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 UGX 666.6K

$4,296 $4,296

-96.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

6.55

216.79%

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

Last update for Uganda: October 26, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Uganda

$140 24.4%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 861% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Uganda

$135 23.5%

United States

$415 15.2% 208% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Uganda

$103 17.9%

United States

$355 13% 245% $252

Eating Out

Uganda

$73 12.7%

United States

$328 12% 350% $255

Sport & Entertainment

Uganda

$47 8.2%

United States

$71 2.6% 51.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Uganda

$39 6.7%

United States

$137 5% 254% $98

Getting Around

Uganda

$38 6.6%

United States

$80 2.9% 112% $42

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $231 in Uganda vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $458 in Kampala and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $139 in Uganda vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 601% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 226% more in the United States.

Public transport is 97% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 33 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Uganda

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

23:34 11:34 PM

8 h behind Uganda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,123,531

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,345 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD). 1 EUR = 4,851 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Uganda United States 12,620 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Uganda
United States

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

Uganda vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uganda is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 79% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $231 in Uganda.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Uganda – part of why living there is about 79% cheaper overall.

Uganda is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.