Which place is cheaper, Rome or Kampala?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Kampala or Rome?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Kampala or Rome? 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 Rome?
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.
Rome
Rome is the capital and largest city in Italy. It is also a common entry point for most visitors flying into the country. Rome has been a center of power, culture, and religion for the last millenium, making it one of the most famous and popular destinations in not only Europe, but the world. The influence of the Roman Empire can be seen across continents.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Camping Tours in Uganda, The Best Safaris in Uganda, The Best Luxury Tours to Italy, and The Best Budget Tours to Italy.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKampala $69Rome $182
The average daily cost (per person) in Kampala is $69, while the average daily cost in Rome is $182. 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 Rome in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKampala $59Rome $95
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKampala $118Rome $190
Compare Hotels in Kampala and Rome
Looking for a hotel in Kampala or Rome? 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 Rome Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Kampala $2.48Rome $23
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Kampala
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Kampala are as follows:
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Taxi around town$3.98
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: $128
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Rome
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Rome:
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Metro Ride (for Two)$2.14
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Train to the Airport$16
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Taxi to Airport$48
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Bicycle Rental (Full Day)$11
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Rome
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Rome:
- Transfer from Civitavecchia port to Fco Rome airport or Rome : $251
- Transfer from and to Airport - from and to Port - from and to hotel: $165
- All Italy: Private Premium Transfers in Rome: $77
- Arrival Private Transfer: Ciampino Airport CIA to Rome City in Business Car: $95
- Arrival Private Transfer: Ciampino Airport CIA to Rome City in Luxury Van: $102
- Arrival Private Transfer: Fiumicino Airport FCO to Rome in Business Car: $115
- Arrival in Airport Transfer & Exclusive City Introduction: $245
- Arrival in Seamless Private Hotel Transfer: $81
- Catacombs Rome Tour with Private Transfer and Tickets: $175
- Catacombs guided tour and Capuchin Crypt with Transfer: $85
- Catacombs in Rome Tour with Private Transfer : $218
- Catacombs in Rome with private transfer: $104
Is it cheaper to fly into Kampala or Rome?
Prices for flights to both Rome 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 $8.36Rome $51
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$1.59
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
- 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
- Amazing Race - Food Tour: $103
- Half-day Kampala City Tour and Traditional Dance Show with Dinner (7-Hours): $147
- Kampala food tour: $205
Typical Food Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Rome:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$15
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4 Ice Cream Sandwiches$3.20
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Cafe e doce$4.29
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Pizza (Fast Food)$2.84
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Sitdown Lunch (for Two)$34
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Cheese and bread$11
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Espresso$2.14
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Dinner$62
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Rome
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Rome.
- Award-Winning Roman Food Tours: $16
- Eat Pasta in Rome, Testaccio - Self-Guided Walking Food Tour: $17
- Vatican and Trionfale Farmers Market Food tour and Wine tasting : $32
- Vatican Street Food Tour around the Biggest Fresh Market in Rome: $32
- Roman Master Chef Cooking Class with Wine: $37
- Roman Dinner & History Tour: An Epic Journey Through Time: $37
- Tasty Trionfale Farmers Market Food Tour and Local Wines Tasting: $38
- Campo dei Fiori & Jewish Ghetto area Street Food Tour: $42
- Rome Food Tour : Street Food Testings with Local Guide: $43
- Painting and Pizza Party in Rome: $43
- Pub Crawl and Ultimate Party with Open Bar and Pizza: $43
- Tiber River Urban Rafting Tour with Roman Pizza: $43
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Kampala -Rome $39
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
- 3-Hour Walking Tour with Optional Gaddafi Mosque: $24
- Kampala:Guided walking tour: $25
- Entebbe Walking Tour (3 Hours) with Zoo and Botanical Gardens Options: $25
- Tombs, King’s palace and Gaddafi mosque walk tours: $26
- Steve Kampala Walking tours: $27
- Safe Motorbike Tour in Kampala (Boda Boda Tour): $30
- Kampala Guided walking Tour: $30
- Free Female Guided Walking Tours Kampala (3 Hours): $30
- Inside Kampala walking tour (Female guided): $32
- Running City Tour of Kampala at Dawn (7 KMs | Sundays): $33
Typical Entertainment Prices in Rome
Here are a few typical costs in Rome for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Rome Museum Vaticano (for 2)$74
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Coliseum Tickets (for Two)$35
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Roma Pass$32
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Hop on Hop Off Bus (All Day)$21
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Segway Tour$80
Tours and Activities in Rome
Here are a few actual costs in Rome for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Cambridge: Discovery Walk & Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Bergamo Old Town: Discovery Walk & Reading Walking Tour: $3.23
- Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Self-Guided Audio Tour: $3.26
- Shared 4 Hours Guided tour of the House of the Emperor Hadrian: $5.11
- Private Audio Guided Walking Tour in Rome: $5.34
- Bergamo Old Town: City Exploration Game and Tour: $5.38
- Rome Walking Tour Including the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain: $5.45
- Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere Tour Rome: $5.45
- Vatican Night Tour - Rome: $5.45
- Twilight Treasures: An Evening Tour Through Rome's Rich History: $5.45
- Civitavecchia's Stories and Secrets: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.50
- An insider's look at A Self-Guided Audio Tour : $5.61
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKampala -Rome $19
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
Typical Alcohol Prices in Rome
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Rome:
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Bottle of Wine$6.96
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Pint of Beer$6.79
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Beer$11
Sample the Local Flavors in Rome
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Rome:
- Cabaret & Burlesque Show: $32
- Vatican Street Food and Wine Tour with Farmers Market: $38
- The Best Wine Tasting in Trastevere with food pairing and Gelato: $49
- Bar Crawl with Local Guide & Drinks: $53
- Roman Night Life and Burlesque Show Tour: $54
- Wine Tour in Historic Center of Rome: $55
- Agricultural Brewery Tour in the Roman Countryside: $55
- Small-Group Exclusive Winery and Wine Tasting Tour in Frascati: $60
- Pasta Making Class & Wine Tasting in a Trasteve Villa: $68
- E-Bike Night Tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $69
- Rome by Night-Ebike tour with Food and Wine Tasting: $70
- Taste of Tuscany: Food & Wine tour with Florentine Steak: $74
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Kampala and Rome, we can see that Rome 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 Rome is in Europe, 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 Rome would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Rome 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 Rome Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Kampala or Rome?
Rome has a larger population, and is about 89% larger than the population of Kampala. When comparing the sizes of Kampala and Rome, 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.