Budget/Backpacker Travel Guide: Kampala

Accommodation

$8-25 per night

Dorm beds in hostels, basic guesthouses, budget hotels with shared facilities

Food & Dining

$5-15 per day

Street food, local markets, roadside stalls, basic local restaurants

Transportation

$3-8 per day

Public buses (matatus), shared taxis, walking, occasional boda-boda rides

Activities

$5-20 per day

Free walking tours, local markets, cultural sites, occasional paid attractions

Eat at local markets and roadside stalls instead of tourist restaurants (typically 60-80% cheaper)

Use public matatus instead of taxis for city transport (usually 70-85% savings)

Stay in neighborhoods like Ntinda or Najera instead of central Kampala (generally 30-50% lower accommodation costs)

Buy bottled water in bulk from supermarkets rather than tourist shops (typically 40-60% cheaper)

Negotiate prices at local markets and for boda-boda rides (usually 20-40% savings possible)

Book accommodation directly with properties rather than through booking sites (often 10-25% lower rates)

Travel during rainy seasons for significantly lower accommodation rates (typically 25-45% discounts)

Only eating in hotel restaurants and tourist areas instead of exploring local food options (usually 100-200% markup)

Taking taxis everywhere instead of learning the matatu system (typically 3-5x more expensive)

Booking accommodation in central business district without comparing suburban options (often 40-70% price difference)

Not negotiating prices at markets and for services where haggling is expected (missing 20-50% potential savings)

Exchanging money at airports instead of forex bureaus in the city (typically 5-15% worse rates)