Cost of Living in Masaka, 🇺🇬 Uganda - For Locals, Nomads, and Tourists

Researched Updated Oct 25, 2026 Last changed Oct 31, 2026 About costs

Cost breakdown

Digital nomad: short-term stay (1-3 months). Furnished Airbnb or coliving near center, coworking, eating out ~3x/day, travel health insurance.

Expat: long-term resident (1+ years). Renting apartment in center, mix of cooking and dining out, local health insurance, settled lifestyle.

Family: middle-class 4-person family. 2-3 bedroom in suburbs, groceries for 4, international school, car/transport, family health plan.

Local: budget-conscious local resident. Renting outside center, cooking at home, public transport, local phone plan.

Tourist: short-stay visitor (1-14 days). Hotel/Airbnb nightly, all meals at restaurants, taxis, sightseeing.

CategoryCost

Housing 1 3 2 $218 $194 $251 $145 $24

Utilities 25 26 1 2 $12 $46 $53 $46 —

Internet & Mobile 5 6 1 $18 $74 $86 $12 $1

Groceries 1 18 20 21 $32 $98 $195 $72 $3

Transportation 2 12 1 $88 $32 $115 $21 $9

Dining Out 1 2 $252 $72 $88 $28 $22

Leisure Activities 1 2 11 $85 $55 $1,015 $18 $12

Health Insurance 8 $63 $45 $185 $6 $2

Visa & Legal Fees 7 $17 $22 $67 — $2

Total $785 $638 $2,055 $348 $75

Itemized prices

Local prices converted to the selected currency.

Housing

Apartment (1 bedroom) 1 3 $145.32 $109 – $194 per month

Coworking Space 2 9 $19.38 per month

Airbnb (1 month) 3 1 $217.98 $206 – $242 per month

Coliving Space 3 1 $205.87 per month

Food & Dining

Coffee 19 1 $2.42 per cup

Beer 16 1 $1.21 per pint

Meal (Inexpensive) 1 2 $2.42 per meal

Fast Food Combo 14 1 $6.54 per meal

Apples 22 1 $2.45 per kg

Bread 23 1 $0.85 per loaf

Milk 24 1 $0.77 per liter

Rice 18 1 $0.97 per kg

Chicken Fillets 20 1 $4.36 per kg

Beef 21 1 $4.71 per kg

Wine (Mid-range) 17 1 $6.46 per bottle

Meal (Mid-range, 2 people) 1 2 $26.88 per meal

Water (1.5L bottle) 1 $0.48 per bottle

Transportation

Taxi Start 1 12 $0.63 per trip

Taxi per km 1 12 $0.24 per km

Monthly Transport Pass 2 1 $20.59 per month

Gasoline 4 $1.67 per liter

Ride-hailing (5km) 1 12 $1.84 per trip

Scooter Rental 2 1 $19.38 per month

Services

Mobile Plan 5 $6.30 per month

Internet (60 Mbps+) 1 13 $67.58 per month

Gym Membership 27 28 1 $43.08 per month

Tennis Court (Weekend) 1 $5.57 per hour

SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid) 6 $0.48 one-time

Entertainment

Cinema Ticket 15 1 $4.84 per ticket

Clothing

Jeans 1 $13.54 per pair

Summer Dress 1 $15.25 per dress

Running Shoes 1 $31.49 per pair

Personal Care

Haircut — per visit

Laundry — per kg

Healthcare

Doctor Visit (GP) 10 $6.05 per visit

Pharmacy (basic meds) — per purchase

About these costs

Method: Researched
Last updated: Oct 25, 2026
Last changed: Oct 31, 2026
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 4,128.81 UGX on Oct 19, 2026

Checked against the sources below and compared with similar cities. Numbers in the list point to these sources.

Compared with Kampala, Soroti, Hanoi, Delhi, Nairobi

HikersBay Masaka prices updated 25 Oct 2026Index
Masaka hotels UGX 25k–150k/night; boda UGX 1k–2kSecondary
PropertyPro Masaka rent UGX 450k–1.5M/mo (Oct 2026)Listings
Uganda gasoline UGX 6,874.5/L on 19 Oct 2026Index
MTN monthly 20GB UGX 26,000 (Aug 2026 bundles)Official
MTN new SIM UGX 2,000Official
Uganda single-entry tourist visa USD 50Official
SafetyWing Essential USD 62.72 per 4 weeksOfficial
KaraSpace Kampala hot desk UGX 350,000/mo (borrowed benchmark)Official
Rocket Health GP consultation UGX 25,000Official
KDIS tuition USD 3,153–5,422/year 2026/27 (no Masaka intl school)Official
Ride-hail fare formula (base + per km; Masaka taxi cross-check)Secondary
MTN WakaNet fibre from UGX 70k–300k/mo (60 Mbps+ plans)Official
KFC Uganda Zinger Burger Meal UGX 27,000Shop
Century Cinemax Metroplex weekend 2D UGX 20,000Official
Nile Special 500ml bottle UGX 5,000Shop
Jumia Penasol Chardonnay 750ml UGX 26,700Shop
Jumia Zhong Yi Super Rice 1kg UGX 4,000Shop
Java House Uganda cappuccino single UGX 10,000Official
Vohena chicken thighs 1kg UGX 18,000Shop
Online Supermarket fresh beef 1kg UGX 19,440Shop
Red Delicious apple USD 0.49 each (Kampala delivery)Shop
Vohena Family loaf sweet white bread 1kg UGX 7,000Shop
Carrefour via Glovo Onfarm full cream milk 1L UGX 3,200Shop
UEDCL Q4 2026 domestic Yaka 250/779.4/412 UGX per kWhOfficial
NWSC domestic water UGX 4,307/m³ VAT exclusiveOfficial
Maple Leaf Masaka spa and fitness centreOfficial
Maple Leaf health club gym UGX 7,000 per visitSecondary

Change history

Oct 31, 2026
- Method Generated Researched
- Airbnb (1 month) 187.47 217.98
- Apartment (1 bedroom) 93.74 145.32
- Apples 1.87 2.45
- Beef 3.48 4.71
- Bread 0.67 0.85
39 more changes
- Chicken Fillets 3.75 4.36
- Cinema Ticket 3.21 4.84
- Coffee 1.07 2.42
- Coliving Space 133.91 205.87
- Coworking Space 32.14 19.38
- Dining Out local 26.78, nomad 267.82, expat 66.96, family 80.35 local 28, nomad 252, expat 72, family 88, tourist 22
- Doctor Visit (GP) 10.71 6.05
- Fast Food Combo 3.21 6.54
- Gasoline 1.21 1.67
- Groceries local 66.96, nomad 26.78, expat 93.74, family 187.47, tourist 2.68 local 72, nomad 32, expat 98, family 195, tourist 3.15
- Gym Membership 8.03 43.08
- Haircut 2.14 not set
- Health Insurance local 8.03, nomad 53.56, expat 40.17, family 93.74, tourist 1.34 local 6, nomad 62.72, expat 45, family 185, tourist 2.09
- Housing local 80.35, nomad 267.82, expat 187.47, family 321.39, tourist 53.56 local 145.32, nomad 217.98, expat 193.76, family 250.68, tourist 24.21
- Internet & Mobile local 8.03, nomad 40.17, expat 21.43, family 26.78, tourist 1.34 local 12.35, nomad 18.41, expat 73.87, family 86.22, tourist 0.65
- Internet (60 Mbps+) 10.71 67.58
- Jeans 16.07 13.54
- Laundry 1.87 not set
- Leisure Activities local 8.03, nomad 80.35, expat 53.56, family 1044.5 local 18, nomad 85, expat 55, family 1015, tourist 12
- Meal (Inexpensive) 1.87 2.42
- Meal (Mid-range, 2 people) 17.41 26.88
- Milk 0.94 0.77
- Mobile Plan 4.02 6.3
- Monthly Transport Pass 16.07 20.59
- Pharmacy (basic meds) 0.8 not set
- Rice 1.07 0.97
- Ride-hailing (5km) 3.21 1.84
- Running Shoes 48.21 31.49
- SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid) 3.21 0.48
- Scooter Rental 6.7 19.38
- Summer Dress 13.39 15.25
- Taxi Start 1.07 0.63
- Taxi per km 0.48 0.24
- Tennis Court (Weekend) 6.7 5.57
- Transportation local 21.43, nomad 32.14, expat 26.78, family 80.35, tourist 10.71 local 20.59, nomad 87.5, expat 32, family 115, tourist 8.5
- Utilities local 21.43, nomad 26.78, expat 26.78, family 40.17, tourist 0 local 45.53, nomad 12.11, family 53.28, tourist 0
- Visa & Legal Fees local 0, nomad 16.07, expat 26.78, family 53.56, tourist 6.7 local 0, nomad 16.67, expat 22, family 67, tourist 1.67
- Water (1.5L bottle) 0.67 0.48
- Wine (Mid-range) 8.03 6.46
Gym Membership and Utilities citations moved to Maple Leaf/Scribe gym visit and ERA UEDCL plus NWSC official tariffs (values unchanged) (mapleleafhotel.co.ug, scribe.co.ug, era.go.ug, nwsc.co.ug)

Masaka cost of living