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: $2,337 in Barcelona versus $468 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,468 in Barcelona versus $722 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,599 in Barcelona versus $975 in Butare.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 399% more expensive than Butare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Butare is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.72

$1.78 RWF 2,602

859.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.7

$20.88 RWF 30.5K

231.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €11.87

$5.62 RWF 8,209

145.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.37

$1.78 RWF 2,595

55.06%

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

$2.79 €2.40

$0.58 RWF 852

381.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.37 RWF 536

437.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.76

$0.67 RWF 981

550.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 €4.09

$1.06 RWF 1,547

347.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.36 RWF 531

258.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.98 RWF 1,436

109.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.90 RWF 1,312

121.11%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.92

$1.46 RWF 2,132

132.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.81 €16.21

$2.21 RWF 3,219

751.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 €8.07

$2.99 RWF 4,363

213.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.12 €16.48

$2.73 RWF 3,986

600.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.25 RWF 3,287

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$0.94 RWF 1,372

148.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.18 RWF 1,726

79.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.46

$0.77 RWF 1,129

270.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.31 RWF 459

535.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$0.47 RWF 680

282.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.35 RWF 505

314.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.57 RWF 839

50.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$1.19 RWF 1,733

469.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €6.81

$10.10 RWF 14.7K

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$0.85 RWF 1,247

63.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.41 RWF 2,065

68.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 €2.52

$0.27 RWF 388

981.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.69 €24.72

$9.46 RWF 13.8K

203.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.10 RWF 3,062

112.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.93 RWF 1,354

120.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.46

$3.79 RWF 5,531

679.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.78 RWF 1,136

133.33%

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

$38.8K €33.5K

$16.8K RWF 24.5M

131.15%

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

$33.1K €28.5K

$8,613 RWF 12.6M

284.28%

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

$189 €163

$36.12 RWF 52.7K

423.89%

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

$22.80 €19.65

$9.01 RWF 13.1K

153.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.59 €32.39

$17.95 RWF 26.2K

109.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 €49.75

$25.78 RWF 37.6K

123.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

$5.64 RWF 8,226

267.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 €9.33

$3.53 RWF 5,159

206.52%

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

$728 €628

$94.3 RWF 137.6K

672.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K €12.7K

$1,326 RWF 1.9M

1014.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €76.4

$14.16 RWF 20.7K

525.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.85 €31.75

$19.73 RWF 28.8K

86.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$24.46 RWF 35.7K

317.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$30.97 RWF 45.2K

274.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$210 RWF 306.9K

646.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$139 RWF 203.1K

775.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 €2,409

$318 RWF 463.9K

779.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,702

$238 RWF 347.2K

730.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,754 €6,680

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,176 €4,460

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,343 €2,019

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Butare: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,569 in Barcelona and $210 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $21.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $116 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 399% in total monthly costs ($2,337 vs $468 including rent). Butare is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,505 in Barcelona and $702 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: $1,569 in Barcelona versus $210 in Butare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Barcelona versus $94.3 in Butare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 176% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $468 in Butare versus $2,337 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 399% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.