Which place is cheaper, Rio de Janeiro or Kampala?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Kampala or Rio de Janeiro?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kampala or Rio de Janeiro? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Kampala or Rio de Janeiro?
Kampala
Kampala is the capital of Uganda in the South part of the country near Lake Victoria. It is the largest city in Uganda, with a population of over two million people. This city is very safe and the locals are known to be very kind and approachable.
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is the most popular travel destination in Brazil. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the sixth largest in the Americas. A portion of the city has been designated a World Heritage Site. It's also famous for Carnival, it's gorgeous beaches, and world-famous landmarks. Rio's appeal as a travel destination is apparent year round due to the great weather and plenty of fun activities. The city has a wonderful natural harbor that is surrounded by Sugar Loaf Mountain, Corcovado Peak, and the hills of Tijuca, creating an absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring setting.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in Uganda, The Best Safaris in Uganda, The Best Contiki Tours to Brazil, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Brazil.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKampala $69Rio de Janeiro $105
The average daily cost (per person) in Kampala is $69, while the average daily cost in Rio de Janeiro is $105. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Kampala and Rio de Janeiro in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKampala $59Rio de Janeiro $66
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKampala $118Rio de Janeiro $132
Compare Hotels in Kampala and Rio de Janeiro
Looking for a hotel in Kampala or Rio de Janeiro? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Kampala Hotel Prices and Rio de Janeiro Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kampala $2.48Rio de Janeiro $7.97
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kampala
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Kampala are as follows:
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Taxi around town$3.96
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kampala
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kampala:
- Entebbe Airport Transfers: $80
- Entebbe Airport taxi. For a safe, affordable and reliable 24/7 airport transfer.: $45
- From 3-Day Murchison Falls Safari with Transfer: $2,200
- Full-Day Kampala Trip with Lunch and Hotel Transfers: $200
- Private Transfer from Entebbe Airport (EBB) Uganda to Kampala: $127
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rio de Janeiro:
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Taxi Ride$2.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rio de Janeiro
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rio de Janeiro:
- 2025 Sambadrome Carnival Parade: Transfer Included Sector 5: $467
- 2025: Rio Carnival Parade at Sapucaí with Transfer Sector 7: $467
- A transfer with safety and comfort in Rio: $45
- Airport Private Transfer - Premium Service: $65
- All Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro to Ilha Grande: $275
- Angra dos Reis Private Transfer from Rio de Janeiro : $107
- Angra dos Reis Shared Transfer From Rio de Janeiro: $53
- Arraial do Cabo Private Transfer From Rio de Janeiro: $123
- Arraial do Cabo Shared Transfer From Rio de Janeiro: $54
- Arrival Private Transfer GIG or SDU Airport to Rio City by Minivan: $91
- Arrival Private Transfer from Rio Airports to Buzios by Minivan: $205
- Arrival Private Transfer from Rio Airports to Buzios by Sedan Car: $121
Is it cheaper to fly into Kampala or Rio de Janeiro?
Prices for flights to both Rio de Janeiro and Kampala change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayKampala $8.33Rio de Janeiro $20
Typical Food Prices in Kampala
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Kampala:
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Lunch for 2$1.58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kampala
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kampala.
- Like a local cooking Tours: $26
- Cooking Class for Typical Ugandan Food in Kampala: $31
- Three-Hour Food Tour: $41
- Private Cooking Class with a Local Host: $47
- Momma Ida's Ugandan Cuisine Cooking Tour: $75
- Kampala City Walking Food Tour: $77
- Night-time Boda Boda Street Food Tour: $91
- uganda fun time (bed,breakfast, lunch and dinner ) : $154
Typical Food Prices in Rio de Janeiro
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rio de Janeiro:
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Popcorn$0.59
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Corn on the Cob$0.78
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Hamburger$0.98
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rio de Janeiro
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rio de Janeiro.
- Waterfront Dinner & Live Music Experience: $45
- Barra da Tijuca Food Tour with Drinks: $71
- THE BEST FOOD TOUR: $79
- Feijoada Food Tour in Rio de Janeiro with Hotel pick-up and drop-off: $80
- Rio Bar Food Tour with a Local: $81
- 9-Recipe Boozy Brazilian Cooking Class: $85
- Dinner & Rio Scenarium Nightclub Admission with Transfer: $85
- Copacabana Local Street Bars Food Tour: $88
- Food Tour Rio de Janeiro - The Best Typical Brazilian Dishes: $92
- Rio Bar Food Tour with a Local - All Included: $99
- Rio Scenarium Entrance, Dinner, and Open Bar: $103
- Rio Scenarium: Fast Track Entrance, Dinner & Open Bar: $115
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kampala -Rio de Janeiro $22
Tours and Activities in Kampala
Here are a few actual costs in Kampala for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Uganda Community Tour: $15
- African Fabric Market Tour : $18
- Best Kampala group Walking Tour.: $20
- Kampala Half-Day Walking Tour with Local Female Guides: $20
- 3-Hour Walking Tour with Optional Gaddafi Mosque: $24
- Entebbe Walking Tour (3 Hours) with Zoo and Botanical Gardens Options: $25
- Kampala:Guided walking tour: $25
- Tombs, King’s palace and Gaddafi mosque walk tours: $26
- Steve Kampala Walking tours: $27
- 3 Hours Walking Tour in Kampala: $28
- Kampala Guided walking Tour: $30
- Free Female Guided Walking Tours Kampala (3 Hours): $30
Tours and Activities in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few actual costs in Rio de Janeiro for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Santa Teresa: the staircase: $6.99
- Rio de Janeiro (Ipanema & Copacabana) Self-Guided Tour: $7.68
- Rio de Janeiro (Urca) Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour: $7.68
- Salvador Sights Self Guided Tour (Pelourinho): $7.87
- Rio de Janeiro(Ipanema-Copacabana)Scavenger Hunt Self-Guided Tour: $7.87
- Rio de Janeiro (Urca) Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.87
- Rio de Janeiro Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- Hiking Experience to Pedra do Telégrafo: $9.81
- A Self-Guided Black History Audio Tour of Rio de Janeiro’s Little Africa: $9.99
- Favela tour in copacabana with local guide!: $10
- Ticket to the match at maracanã of Flamengo: $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour-Story of Bossanova: Rhythm and soul of Rio: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKampala -Rio de Janeiro $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Kampala
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Kampala:
- Entebbe and club,pub and bar crawl experiences: $35
- Kampala Pub Crawl | Uganda | 4 hours: $65
Sample the Local Flavors in Rio de Janeiro
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rio de Janeiro:
- Rio: Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba: $27
- Pub Crawl in Lapa: $29
- Rio de Janeiro Pub Crawl (Lapa district): $35
- Petropolis Bohemia: Historic tour and visit to the Bohemian Brewery: $55
- Walking tour + Pub crawl + Samba in Lapa: $64
- Petropolis City Tour + Bohemia Brewery + Lunch: $77
- Petrópolis City and Brewery Bohemia Tour - Best of Rio's Mountains: $110
- Rio: Sitio Burle Marx and Cachaça Distillery Private Tour: $129
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kampala and Rio de Janeiro, we can see that Rio de Janeiro is more expensive. And not only is Kampala much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Kampala is in Africa and Rio de Janeiro is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Kampala would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kampala and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Rio de Janeiro would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rio de Janeiro than you might in Kampala.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kampala Expensive? and Is Rio de Janeiro Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kampala or Rio de Janeiro?
Rio de Janeiro has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Kampala. When comparing the sizes of Kampala and Rio de Janeiro, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.