True Burn

Kampala, Uganda

Can I live in Kampala on $2,000/month?

I have lived in Kampala off and on for about a year and a half. Uganda is a country with an extremely low cost of living. The average local earns less than $200 per month. It can be extremely affordable to live here.

You can rent a nice 2-bedroom apartment in a safe neighborhood for less than $300 per month. I rented a 2-bed apartment in Kyanja for 800,000 UGX or $215 per month. All-in, I spend around $1,600-$1,700 per month to live here.

There are some hidden expenses that make Kampala a bit less affordable than you may expect. Your options for transferring money are somewhat limited. Some foreign exchange services don’t work here. For example, Wise is not available in Uganda. Exchange fees can also be high. The Ugandan shilling is not a major currency so markups can be high.

One of the biggest expenses of living in Uganda for me is flights. Flights to and from Africa are very expensive. Flying home every year to visit family increases my cost of living significantly. Food here is also kind of pricey if you like to maintain a Western diet.

Starting numbers checked . Every line below is editable. The estimates include often-forgotten costs like flights home and visas, plus what you lose moving money into UGX. The calculator will show you your true monthly burn rate as well as your adjusted exchange rate.

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01

Money in

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02

True FX

How you turn this money into something you can spend.

How you receive money

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After fees

1 USD = 3,588 UGX

Mid-market is 3,700. You lose about 30.78 USD per $1,000 moved.

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03

Monthly costs

Start with these. Turn off anything that isn’t you.

Forgotten expenses

$524/mo

Expenses people often forget

›

Flights home, visas, a house helper. Turn off anything that isn’t you.

True monthly burn

$1,705

6,308,019 UGX

Keep $295

Kampala cost of living breakdown

The figures the calculator starts with plus some notes. Everything here is an estimate you should change for your situation.

Monthly cost of living estimates for Kampala, Uganda, in USD
ExpenseStarting estimatePer month
Everyday costs$980/mo
Rent$300/mo$300

For a 1-bedroom apartment in a decent area, like Bukoto, Ntinda, or Naalya you can expect to pay around 700,000-800,000 UGX per month for rent (about $190-$215). For a 2-bedroom apartment, you can expect to pay around 1,000,000-1,200,000 UGX per month (~$275-$330). In the most expensive neighborhoods, like Kololo, rent can be a bit higher. Maybe 1.5-2M for a decent 2-bedroom (about $400-$530).

Utilities$50/mo$50

I paid about 50,000 UGX for electricity per month (about $14), 40,000 UGX for water (about $10), 50,000 UGX for cooking gas (about $14), and 20,000 UGX for trash (about $5). That's about $43 total.

Food$300/mo$300

A meal in a mid-range restaurant costs about 30,000-40,000 UGX (about $8-$10). Grocery store prices are similar to the U.S. Fresh fruit and produce is very cheap.

Transport$50/mo$50

The main modes of transport are boda boda (motorcycle taxis) and shared taxis. A boda boda ride halfway across town costs around 8,000 UGX (about $2.00) and a shared taxi ride costs around 2,000-5,000 UGX (about $0.50-$1.30).

Phone & internet$30/mo$30

I pay 26,000 UGX per month for 10GB of data (about $7) and 80,000 UGX per month for unlimited wifi (about $22).

Health (local)$50/mo$50
Entertainment$200/mo$200

A local beer like a Nile, Club, or Tusker in a bar costs 8000 UGX (about $2.20). On the weekends, some bars charge a cover. It's usually around 10,000 UGX (about $2.75).

Easy to forget$524/mo
Flights homeHolidays, family visits$1,600/yr$133

Flights to and from Uganda are expensive. I just bought a ticket from Entebbe to the West Coast of the U.S. and it cost $1,000 one way. If I fly home once per year, I'm paying about $140 per month in airfare.

In-country tripsWeekends, safaris, Jinja$600/yr$50
Visa / border runsPermits, overstays$250/yr$21

A Uganda tourist visa costs $50 and is valid for 3 months. It can be extended for an additional 2 months. For longer stays, long-term visas are available.

Travel insurance$50/mo$50
Phone, laptop, clothes$600/yr$50
Laundry / cleaning help$20/mo$20

I pay a laundry lady 20,000 UGX (around $5) when I don't feel like doing laundry.

Medical bufferClinics, meds insurance skips$50/mo$50

A consultation in a clinic costs about 10,000-15,000 UGX (about $2.75-$4.15). A consultation with a specialist costs around 50,000 UGX (about $14). I recently went to a dermatologist and it cost me 180,000 UGX (about $48) for a consultation and medication.

Emergency fund$100/mo$100
SubscriptionsStreaming, iCloud, software$25/mo$25
Home SIM for 2FA$25/mo$25
Bad-week buffer, 10% on top$150
Cost of moving money in via Mobile money$50
True monthly burn in Kampala$1,705

That is about 6,308,019 UGX a month at roughly 3,700 UGX to 1 USD; the calculator above uses the live rate. On $2,000 a month you would keep $295, and $10,000 of savings would last 5.9 months with no income. 5 more expenses are switched off by default. Turn on the ones that apply to you.

Run the numbers somewhere else

Same calculator, different starting figures. Kampala lands at $1,705 a month on the defaults above.

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