Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yiwu and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Yiwu: $550 a month against $669 in Kampala, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Kampala outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

27

Cost of Living Index in Yiwu
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Yiwu Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
Learn more

Kampala Living Index

Jump to prices

Yiwu

🇨🇳 China

$550

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Yiwu and in Kampala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $550 in Yiwu versus $669 in Kampala.

Yiwu $550
Kampala $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,286 in Yiwu versus $1,022 in Kampala.

Yiwu $1,286
Kampala $1,022

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,022 in Yiwu versus $1,376 in Kampala.

Yiwu $2,022
Kampala $1,376

Living in Yiwu costs roughly 18% less than in Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Yiwu 59% lower, Kampala 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.53

$2.35 UGX 9,669

24.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.38 ¥196

$24.24 UGX 99.7K

21.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥34.30

$7.32 UGX 30.1K

-29.92%

Cappuccino

$3.29 ¥22.01

$2.48 UGX 10.2K

32.66%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$0.35 UGX 1,433

77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.55

$0.25 UGX 1,021

52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.18

$1.19 UGX 4,891

2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.21

$1.79 UGX 7,359

27.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.40

$0.73 UGX 3,004

153.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.09

$0.90 UGX 3,709

117.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 ¥6.57

$1.34 UGX 5,514

-26.87%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.26

$1.60 UGX 6,596

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.54 ¥117

$4.36 UGX 17.9K

302.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.38

$4.58 UGX 18.8K

-26.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 ¥87.9

$4.84 UGX 19.9K

171.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 ¥14.29

$2.12 UGX 8,718

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.68

$1.27 UGX 5,238

37.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.05

$1.26 UGX 5,197

54.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$1.16 UGX 4,766

43.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$1.24 UGX 5,103

-33.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.27

$1.18 UGX 4,846

-20.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.78 UGX 3,197

-20.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.52 UGX 2,145

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 ¥25.10

$2.37 UGX 9,746

58.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 ¥72.1

$7.39 UGX 30.4K

45.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$1.07 UGX 4,416

-22.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.82 UGX 7,485

-12.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.72 UGX 2,954

-40.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.77 UGX 171.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 ¥8.72

$0.46 UGX 1,912

182.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.89

$0.29 UGX 1,182

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.89 ¥59.4

$3.09 UGX 12.7K

187.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.49

$1.40 UGX 5,746

-9.29%

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

$19.6K ¥130.8K

$7,189 UGX 29.6M

172.19%

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

$18.6K ¥124.3K

$7,180 UGX 29.5M

158.82%

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

$57.4 ¥384

$69.3 UGX 285.0K

-17.13%

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

$8.10 ¥54.2

$11.61 UGX 47.8K

-30.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.41 ¥69.6

$33.60 UGX 138.2K

-69.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.73 ¥98.5

$54.2 UGX 222.9K

-72.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.34 ¥75.8

$5.86 UGX 24.1K

93.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ¥48.24

$7.10 UGX 29.2K

1.69%

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

$1,430 ¥9,564

$248 UGX 1.0M

477.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K ¥182.5K

$8,313 UGX 34.2M

228.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 ¥360

$13.54 UGX 55.7K

298.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 ¥252

$12.51 UGX 51.5K

201.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 ¥514

$31.32 UGX 128.8K

145.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ¥491

$42.57 UGX 175.1K

72.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 ¥2,984

$477 UGX 2.0M

-6.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$165 UGX 679.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 ¥7,039

$1,031 UGX 4.2M

2.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$733 ¥4,900

$297 UGX 1.2M

146.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K ¥78.6K

$1,217 UGX 5.0M

866.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,921 ¥19.5K

$948 UGX 3.9M

208.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$748 ¥4,998

$173 UGX 709.9K

333.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

20.75

-83.81%

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

Last update for Yiwu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kampala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yiwu

$238 43.2%

Kampala

$147 22% 38.2% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Yiwu

$109 19.8%

Kampala

$45 6.7% 58.7% $64

Eating Out

Yiwu

$93 16.9%

Kampala

$82 12.3% 11.2% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yiwu

$76 13.8%

Kampala

$115 17.1% 50.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Yiwu

$29 5.3%

Kampala

$68 10.2% 135% $39

Getting Around

Yiwu

$5.2 * 1%

Kampala

$47 7% 795% $41

Accommodation & Living

Yiwu

- * 0%

Kampala

$165 24.7%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $446 in Yiwu and $477 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yiwu pays 333% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Yiwu vs $24.00 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $147 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Yiwu

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

08:01 8:01 AM

5 h behind Yiwu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,234,015

1,516,210 Capital

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yiwu Kampala 9,750 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Yiwu
Kampala

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

Yiwu vs Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yiwu is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, utilities, and transport. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 333% higher in Yiwu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $446 in Yiwu versus $477 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,430 in Yiwu versus $248 in Kampala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yiwu – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $24.00 in Kampala. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

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.

Expats usually find Yiwu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Kampala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.