Kampala vs Nairobi - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Kampala Nairobi
🚶 Cost of living one person
$717
$811
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$1679
$2043
🏠 One person rent
$303
$286
🏘️ Family rent
$495
$478
🍽️ Food expenses
$268
$286
🚐 Transport expenses
$89.5
$176
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$142
$181
😷 Air quality
Bad
Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity
34 km
4 km
🎓 Higher education
57
68
😀 Quality of life
49
58
🏙️ Population
1.68M
5.55M

The cost of living in Kampala is 12% less expensive than in Nairobi. Cities ranked 7003rd and 6622nd ($717 vs $811) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 1st and 1st in Uganda and Kenya, respectively. Check Uganda vs Kenya comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.2 months in Kampala compared to 0.2 months in Nairobi. Kampala ranked 1st best city to live in Uganda vs Nairobi ranked 1st in Kenya, while ranked 6747th and 6071st among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Kampala vs Nairobi infographic

Share this infographic!

Prices in Kampala vs Nairobi

Prices for goods and services in Kampala and Nairobi are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Kampala Nairobi
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$2.93
$5.85
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$29.1
$38.8
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$8.95
$6.96
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.47
$2.33
☕ Cappuccino
$2.91
$2.45
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.5
$0.7
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$375
$399
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$190
$179
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$669
$726
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$338
$322
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$28.6
$23.4
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$43.7
$35.9
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$47.2
$39.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
20.47%
15%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1201
$1979
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$1048
$1111
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.87
$0.76
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$44.2
$31.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$4.07
$17
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.54
$1.43
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.75
$0.9
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.17
$0.55
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.44
$1.7
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.76
$1.66
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.7
$11.2
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.96
$6.51
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.54
$5.68
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.8
$3.08
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.49
$1.05
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.71
$1.85
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.62
$0.95
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.59
$1.04
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$1.07
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.4
$0.53
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.44
$1.49
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.8
$11.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.23
$2.2
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.73
$3.29
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$4.5
$2.64
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.94
$3.73
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.56
$1.23
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.35
$1.16
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$47.3
$44.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$6.64
$7.42
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$18.1
$17.1
💇 Haircut, simple
$6.43
$4.81
👖 Brand Jeans
$17.3
$19.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$44.7
$67.6
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$176
$225
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$3783
$8707

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

More cities to compare

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Kampala

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 7 mi Kira Town
$658
32 km or 20 mi Entebbe
$578
70 km or 44 mi Jinja
$582
183 km or 114 mi Tororo
$623
197 km or 122 mi Mbale
$654
212 km or 131 mi Mumias
$511
246 km or 153 mi Kisumu
$543
274 km or 171 mi Gulu
$627
288 km or 179 mi Kasese
$567
294 km or 183 mi Bunia
$833
301 km or 187 mi Eldoret
$528
317 km or 197 mi Mwanza
$656
347 km or 216 mi Beni
$820
350 km or 217 mi Byumba
$597
355 km or 220 mi Arua
$617
366 km or 227 mi Butembo
$804
377 km or 234 mi Kigali
$758
384 km or 238 mi Ruhengeri
$499
393 km or 244 mi Nakuru
$503
431 km or 268 mi Muyinga
$687
432 km or 269 mi Nyanza
$524
432 km or 269 mi Gisenyi
$396
446 km or 277 mi Kibuye
$491
452 km or 281 mi Butare
$412
471 km or 293 mi Ngozi
$686
494 km or 307 mi Ruyigi
$687
503 km or 313 mi Nairobi
$811
510 km or 317 mi Gitega
$689
514 km or 320 mi Cyangugu
$505
516 km or 321 mi Juba
$527
517 km or 321 mi Bubanza
$689
520 km or 323 mi Bukavu
$803
523 km or 325 mi Thika
$460
545 km or 339 mi Bujumbura
$754
551 km or 343 mi Rutana
$688
559 km or 348 mi Machakos
$420
563 km or 350 mi Uvira
$842
564 km or 351 mi Meru
$549
583 km or 362 mi Makamba
$688
613 km or 381 mi Arusha
$612

Cities near Nairobi

Distance City Cost of living
40 km or 25 mi Thika
$460
56 km or 35 mi Machakos
$420
139 km or 87 mi Nakuru
$503
175 km or 109 mi Meru
$549
232 km or 144 mi Arusha
$612
235 km or 146 mi Moshi
$533
263 km or 164 mi Eldoret
$528
265 km or 165 mi Kisumu
$543
316 km or 196 mi Mumias
$511
367 km or 228 mi Tororo
$623
394 km or 245 mi Mbale
$654
425 km or 264 mi Malindi
$548
441 km or 274 mi Mombasa
$596
444 km or 276 mi Jinja
$582
456 km or 284 mi Mwanza
$656
491 km or 305 mi Tanga
$552
501 km or 311 mi Kira Town
$658
503 km or 313 mi Kampala
$717
507 km or 315 mi Entebbe
$578
564 km or 351 mi Dodoma
$526
603 km or 375 mi Stone Town
$567
604 km or 375 mi Zanzibar
$609
623 km or 387 mi Morogoro
$421
671 km or 417 mi Dar es Salaam
$799
674 km or 419 mi Gulu
$627
741 km or 461 mi Muyinga
$687
751 km or 467 mi Byumba
$597
755 km or 469 mi Kigali
$758
769 km or 478 mi Ruyigi
$687
778 km or 483 mi Kasese
$567
794 km or 494 mi Nyanza
$524
796 km or 495 mi Bunia
$833
798 km or 496 mi Ruhengeri
$499
798 km or 496 mi Ngozi
$686
799 km or 496 mi Butare
$412
801 km or 498 mi Gitega
$689
811 km or 504 mi Rutana
$688
813 km or 505 mi Arua
$617
835 km or 519 mi Kibuye
$491
841 km or 523 mi Beni
$820