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Kampala vs Kigali cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ฌ Kampala
๐ท๐ผ Kigali
At a glance
- Where Kigali is clearly cheaper: Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (54%โ), Transit (47%โ), SIM card (40%โ)
- Where Kampala is clearly cheaper: Street food (24%โ), Entry ticket (24%โ), Studio rent (month) (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Kigali is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: safety โ Kampala 5 vs Kigali 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kampala | Kigali | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | USh 10,000$2.56 | FRw 4,000$2.71 | Kampala โ5% |
| Street food1 item | USh 4,000$1.03 | FRw 2,000$1.36 | Kampala โ24% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | USh 40,000$10.3 | FRw 15,000$10.2 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | USh 9,000$2.31 | FRw 3,000$2.03 | Kigali โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | USh 6,000$1.54 | FRw 2,000$1.36 | Kigali โ12% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | USh 25,000$6.41 | FRw 10,000$6.78 | Kampala โ5% |
| Bottled water | USh 1,500$0.38 | FRw 400$0.27 | Kigali โ29% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | USh 2,000$0.51 | FRw 600$0.41 | Kigali โ21% |
| Taxi5 km in town | USh 14,000$3.59 | FRw 5,000$3.39 | Kigali โ6% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | USh 4,000$1.03 | FRw 700$0.47 | Kigali โ54% |
| Transitone ride | USh 2,000$0.51 | FRw 400$0.27 | Kigali โ47% |
| Scooter rentalper day | USh 70,000$17.9 | FRw 18,000$12.2 | Kigali โ32% |
| Hotel night3-star | USh 220,000$56.4 | FRw 90,000$61 | Kampala โ8% |
| Studio rent (month) | USh 1,200,000$308 | FRw 550,000$373 | Kampala โ17% |
| Laundry | USh 5,000$1.28 | FRw 2,000$1.36 | Kampala โ5% |
| SIM card1 week data | USh 22,000$5.64 | FRw 5,000$3.39 | Kigali โ40% |
| Haircutcut | USh 10,000$2.56 | FRw 3,000$2.03 | Kigali โ21% |
| Massage1 hour | USh 70,000$17.9 | FRw 25,000$16.9 | Kigali โ6% |
| Half-day tourper person | USh 130,000$33.3 | FRw 40,000$27.1 | Kigali โ19% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | USh 20,000$5.13 | FRw 10,000$6.78 | Kampala โ24% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Kampala or Kigali?
Kampala is 7% cheaper than Kigali. Daily budget $90.1 vs $94.2; a month $1,181 vs $1,307.
Which is easier to travel, Kampala or Kigali?
Kigali is easier: Kigali 2.6/5 vs Kampala 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kampala and Kigali?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kampala is about $1,181 and Kigali about $1,307 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.