Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Uganda

Name: Uganda
Address: UG

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.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Uganda
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Uganda Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇺🇬 Uganda

$574

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

United States $2,734
Uganda $574

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

United States $3,985
Uganda $889

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

United States $5,235
Uganda $1,203

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 the United States is about 376% higher than in Uganda on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$2.17 UGX 9,408

823.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$22.01 UGX 95.6K

263.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$6.66 UGX 28.9K

77.18%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.16 UGX 9,371

156.94%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$0.30 UGX 1,320

786.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.22 UGX 953

886.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$0.92 UGX 3,981

565.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.54 UGX 6,690

415.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.66 UGX 2,849

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$0.89 UGX 3,859

303.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.08 UGX 4,688

318.52%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$1.55 UGX 6,733

176.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$4.47 UGX 19.4K

195.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$4.15 UGX 18.0K

203.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$3.99 UGX 17.3K

341.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.99 UGX 8,631

166.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.22 UGX 5,314

38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.19 UGX 5,149

273.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.04 UGX 4,525

358.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.05 UGX 4,573

182.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.03 UGX 4,477

205.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.68 UGX 2,937

223.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.44 UGX 1,897

434.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$2.20 UGX 9,542

399.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$6.87 UGX 29.8K

119.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.03 UGX 4,489

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.68 UGX 7,300

125.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.64 UGX 2,799

203.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$33.76 UGX 146.7K

75.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.43 UGX 1,889

732.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.21 UGX 908

795.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$2.82 UGX 12.2K

958.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.25 UGX 5,413

-18.40%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$6,633 UGX 28.8M

333.53%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$6,570 UGX 28.5M

298.92%

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

$218 $218

$58.3 UGX 253.4K

273.67%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$11.18 UGX 48.6K

458.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$33.30 UGX 144.7K

123.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$33.71 UGX 146.5K

24.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$5.25 UGX 22.8K

334.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$6.68 UGX 29.0K

120.06%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$242 UGX 1.1M

514.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$4,257 UGX 18.5M

493.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$12.93 UGX 56.2K

320.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$11.71 UGX 50.9K

264.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$28.31 UGX 123.0K

232.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$33.11 UGX 143.9K

242.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$377 UGX 1.6M

340.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$140 UGX 609.2K

861.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$1,050 UGX 4.6M

155.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$269 UGX 1.2M

707.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,183 UGX 5.1M

177.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$927 UGX 4.0M

167.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$153 UGX 666.6K

2700.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

20.75

-68.43%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Uganda: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Uganda

$140 24.4% 89.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Uganda

$135 23.5% 67.6% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Uganda

$103 17.9% 71% $252

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Uganda

$73 12.7% 77.8% $255

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Uganda

$39 6.7% 71.8% $98

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Uganda

$38 6.6% 52.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Uganda

$47 8.2% 33.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $139 in Uganda. 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

🇺🇸 United States

🇺🇬 Uganda

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

09:35 9:35 AM

8 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

47,123,531

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.3 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.06 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

UGX to USD in detail →

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

From you

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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

United States vs Uganda: 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.