Skip to content

Bookmark Nomada·⌘D / Ctrl+D

Cost of Living · Africa

Cost of living in Kampala

Uganda · Updated May 2026

Mid-tier monthly

$1,410

all categories below

Best for: East-Africa nomads who want a green-hilly capital base with bimodal-rain stability.

Monthly breakdown

  • Rent$600
  • Groceries$280
  • Dining out$200
  • Transport$50
  • Utilities$130
  • Coworking$150
  • Total$1,410

How Kampala compares

Versus four reference nomad cities, mid-tier monthly totals.

Climate at a glance

Climate Finder
  • Jan

    23°C

    68% humidity · 3 mm/day rain

  • Apr

    23°C

    72% humidity · 8 mm/day rain

  • Jul

    22°C

    65% humidity · 2 mm/day rain

  • Oct

    23°C

    68% humidity · 4 mm/day rain

Field notes

Uganda's capital on Lake Victoria's northern shore — Kololo, Naguru, and Bugolobi are the typical expat-and-NGO anchors. Uganda has no formal DNV but offers eVisa (90-day, $50) to most nationalities. The structural draws are altitude-mild weather year-round (Kampala sits at 1,200m, producing 22–24°C averages despite the equatorial latitude), the bimodal rainfall pattern (two short rainy seasons rather than a single long monsoon), and access to East Africa's safari circuit and Bwindi gorilla trekking. English is official. The structural friction is traffic gridlock and frequent power outages.

FIRE math at Kampala cost of living

Cost-adjusted FIRE number, time-to-FI scenarios, and how this base compares to a US lifestyle baseline.

Open FIRE Calculator for Kampala

Visa for nomads

Medium nomad-friendly

Pathway

Long visa-free

Program

Typical max stay

3 months

No formal DNV. eVisa for most nationalities (90-day, $50 fee). English-default at 1,200m altitude with bimodal rainfall pattern.

Editorial summary, not legal advice. Verify with the relevant consulate before applying — visa programs change with little notice.

Useful while you’re in Kampala

The weekly nomad digest

One email a week with new visa launches, fresh city data, and the moves that actually matter. Free, no spam, unsubscribe in one click.

Nomad News

One issue per week, no spam, unsubscribe in one click. We’ll never share your email — see Privacy.

Editorial estimates aggregated from public data (Numbeo, expat surveys, recent nomad reports). Prices vary by neighborhood and lifestyle — treat the totals as an order-of-magnitude comparison, not a budget.