Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Rwanda Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Rwanda

Name: Rwanda
Address: RW

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,184 per month in Australia vs $510 in Rwanda, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Australia vs $808 in Rwanda, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,249 per month in Australia vs $1,106 in Rwanda, rent included.

Australia costs about 328% more than Rwanda on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while Rwanda is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,584–$2,827) than Rwanda ($375–$792), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.73

$3.39 RWF 4,961

379.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$108

$27.36 RWF 40.1K

181.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 A$13.74

$6.04 RWF 8,839

62.42%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.01

$2.28 RWF 3,331

57.02%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 A$3.60

$0.86 RWF 1,263

198.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.05

$0.51 RWF 746

327.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.28

$1.02 RWF 1,494

550.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$9.97

$2.09 RWF 3,064

240.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$0.66 RWF 966

127.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.54

$1.03 RWF 1,511

145.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.90

$1.18 RWF 1,724

75.42%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.01

$1.59 RWF 2,329

169.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 A$12.11

$3.88 RWF 5,679

122.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.68

$3.98 RWF 5,832

109.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$19.47

$3.48 RWF 5,098

299.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.61

$2.66 RWF 3,900

24.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.88

$0.84 RWF 1,228

229.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.13

$1.41 RWF 2,059

109.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.87

$1.04 RWF 1,524

302.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$0.50 RWF 725

384.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.94

$0.77 RWF 1,121

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.16

$0.40 RWF 586

465.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.10

$0.78 RWF 1,146

92.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.58 A$44.22

$1.69 RWF 2,478

1768.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$10.35 RWF 15.1K

38.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.42

$0.99 RWF 1,452

363.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.75

$1.70 RWF 2,496

183.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.22

$0.36 RWF 531

738.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 A$138

$27.46 RWF 40.2K

257.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.88

$2.70 RWF 3,949

28.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.45

$1.22 RWF 1,789

43.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.97 A$53.2

$4.29 RWF 6,286

785.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.69

$1.14 RWF 1,662

6.14%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.0K A$40.6K

$24.5K RWF 35.9M

18.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$22.6K A$31.6K

$22.1K RWF 32.3M

2.24%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$177 A$248

$49.03 RWF 71.8K

261.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.85 A$37.59

$9.45 RWF 13.8K

184.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$73.4

$20.93 RWF 30.6K

150.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 A$66.6

$30.86 RWF 45.2K

54.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.46 A$23.04

$4.30 RWF 6,302

282.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.23

$3.51 RWF 5,144

291.17%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,593 A$2,231

$134 RWF 196.6K

1086.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$4,359 RWF 6.4M

191.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 A$101

$19.19 RWF 28.1K

275.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 A$71.8

$22.70 RWF 33.2K

125.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 A$144

$28.33 RWF 41.5K

263.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$152

$34.27 RWF 50.2K

216.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 A$1,961

$434 RWF 635.4K

222.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,512

$286 RWF 419.4K

276.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 A$3,276

$885 RWF 1.3M

164.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 A$2,459

$558 RWF 816.8K

214.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,733 A$10.8K

$3,335 RWF 4.9M

131.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,563 A$7,788

$3,050 RWF 4.5M

82.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,000 A$5,600

$280 RWF 410.6K

1326.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

16.43

-61.35%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Australia: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rwanda: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,232 in Australia vs $265 in Rwanda. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,529 in Canberra and $569 in Kigali.

Average salary: $3,878 in Australia vs $247 in Rwanda. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 365% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 285% more in Australia.

Public transport is 379% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 1470% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Australia vs Rwanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rwanda is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 278% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Rwanda, contributing to the overall 278% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$800 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Rwanda, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Rwanda is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.