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Kampala vs Lagos cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ฌ Kampala
๐ณ๐ฌ Lagos
At a glance
- Where Lagos is clearly cheaper: SIM card (60%โ), Beer (37%โ), Transit (37%โ)
- Where Kampala is clearly cheaper: Haircut (56%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (50%โ), Entry ticket (47%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Kampala 3 vs Lagos 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Kampala | Lagos | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | USh 10,000$2.56 | โฆ 4,500$2.9 | Kampala โ12% |
| Street food1 item | USh 4,000$1.03 | โฆ 1,500$0.97 | Lagos โ6% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | USh 40,000$10.3 | โฆ 18,000$11.6 | Kampala โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | USh 9,000$2.31 | โฆ 6,000$3.87 | Kampala โ40% |
| Beerone bottle | USh 6,000$1.54 | โฆ 1,500$0.97 | Lagos โ37% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | USh 25,000$6.41 | โฆ 10,000$6.45 | similar |
| Bottled water | USh 1,500$0.38 | โฆ 400$0.26 | Lagos โ33% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | USh 2,000$0.51 | โฆ 1,200$0.77 | Kampala โ34% |
| Taxi5 km in town | USh 14,000$3.59 | โฆ 3,500$2.26 | Lagos โ37% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | USh 4,000$1.03 | โฆ 3,150$2.03 | Kampala โ50% |
| Transitone ride | USh 2,000$0.51 | โฆ 500$0.32 | Lagos โ37% |
| Scooter rentalper day | USh 70,000$17.9 | โฆ 27,000$17.4 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | USh 220,000$56.4 | โฆ 75,000$48.4 | Lagos โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | USh 1,200,000$308 | โฆ 470,000$303 | similar |
| Laundry | USh 5,000$1.28 | โฆ 3,300$2.13 | Kampala โ40% |
| SIM card1 week data | USh 22,000$5.64 | โฆ 3,500$2.26 | Lagos โ60% |
| Haircutcut | USh 10,000$2.56 | โฆ 9,000$5.81 | Kampala โ56% |
| Massage1 hour | USh 70,000$17.9 | โฆ 30,000$19.4 | Kampala โ7% |
| Half-day tourper person | USh 130,000$33.3 | โฆ 50,000$32.3 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | USh 20,000$5.13 | โฆ 15,000$9.68 | Kampala โ47% |
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 Lagos?
Kampala and Lagos cost about the same. Daily budget $90.1 vs $83.1; a month $1,181 vs $1,207.
Which is easier to travel, Kampala or Lagos?
About the same: Kampala 3.4/5, Lagos 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Kampala and Lagos?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Kampala is about $1,181 and Lagos about $1,207 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.