Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Butare Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Butare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $461 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $721 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $981 in Butare.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 412% more expensive than in Butare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Butare is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$1.70 RWF 2,491

908.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

221.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$5.56 RWF 8,137

145.32%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.72 RWF 2,511

61.63%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.58 RWF 844

386.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.36 RWF 529

444.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$0.67 RWF 982

561.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$1.06 RWF 1,554

334.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$0.40 RWF 582

217.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$0.96 RWF 1,407

121.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.95 RWF 1,394

109.47%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$1.43 RWF 2,090

135.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$2.26 RWF 3,310

738.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$3.11 RWF 4,555

206.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$2.70 RWF 3,952

593.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$2.33 RWF 3,416

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$0.88 RWF 1,292

167.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.12 RWF 1,645

86.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$0.72 RWF 1,057

279.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.34 RWF 501

476.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$0.43 RWF 636

320.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$0.38 RWF 552

297.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.57 RWF 840

56.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$1.25 RWF 1,834

442.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$10.40 RWF 15.2K

-23.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.91 RWF 1,332

50.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$1.36 RWF 1,993

76.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$0.29 RWF 429

903.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$9.94 RWF 14.5K

188.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.11 RWF 3,082

117.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$0.92 RWF 1,351

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$3.73 RWF 5,463

669.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$0.74 RWF 1,076

145.95%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$16.8K RWF 24.6M

133.44%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$8,546 RWF 12.5M

280.01%

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

$187 €162

$36.66 RWF 53.6K

409.08%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$9.03 RWF 13.2K

146.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$18.19 RWF 26.6K

99.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$25.43 RWF 37.2K

126.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$5.41 RWF 7,921

283.36%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$3.45 RWF 5,048

212.17%

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

$725 €628

$93.6 RWF 137.0K

674.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$1,373 RWF 2.0M

1003.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$13.69 RWF 20.0K

541.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$19.70 RWF 28.8K

86.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$24.46 RWF 35.8K

322.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$30.75 RWF 45.0K

285.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$207 RWF 303.4K

634.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$140 RWF 204.4K

778.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$316 RWF 462.3K

763.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$239 RWF 349.9K

729.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

16.2

-79.07%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Butare: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $207 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $117 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Butare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Butare differ by about 412% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $461 including rent). Butare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,539 in Barcelona and $691 in Butare to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $207 in Butare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $93.6 in Butare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $461 in Butare versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Butare are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Butare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 412% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.