Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bukavu and Goma

For one person, living is cheaper in Goma: $429 a month against $681 in Bukavu, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Bukavu
Learn more

Bukavu Living Index

Jump to prices

Bukavu

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$681

/mo nomad

Goma

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bukavu and in Goma

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bukavu and in Goma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $681 per month in Bukavu vs $429 in Goma, rent included.

Bukavu $681
Goma $429

A couple spends around $1,100 per month in Bukavu vs $748 in Goma, rent included.

Bukavu $1,100
Goma $748

A family of three spends $1,520 per month in Bukavu vs $1,067 in Goma, rent included.

Bukavu $1,520
Goma $1,067

Bukavu costs about 59% more than Goma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bukavu and Goma are more affordable than the global median – Bukavu 50% lower, Goma 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 CDF 16.7K

$15.18 CDF 34.3K

-51.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.08 CDF 34.1K

$44.60 CDF 100.7K

-66.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

$9.97 CDF 22.5K

-50.25%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CDF 9,210

$3.53 CDF 7,982

15.58%

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

$1.52 CDF 3,443

$1.03 CDF 2,325

47.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 CDF 2,284

$0.99 CDF 2,234

2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 CDF 4,478

$1.19 CDF 2,680

66.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CDF 6,824

$4.90 CDF 11.1K

-38.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 CDF 3,304

$0.98 CDF 2,208

48.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 CDF 4,382

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 CDF 2,901

$1.17 CDF 2,639

9.40%

Eggs

$4.26 CDF 9,612

$1.58 CDF 3,561

169.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.34 CDF 12.1K

$5.96 CDF 13.5K

-10.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 CDF 9,916

$2.44 CDF 5,507

79.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.92 CDF 13.4K

$4.94 CDF 11.2K

19.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CDF 9,000

$2.05 CDF 4,637

94.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 CDF 2,293

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 CDF 2,207

$1.53 CDF 3,451

-35.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 CDF 2,644

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 CDF 2,875

$0.51 CDF 1,158

149.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 CDF 4,456

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 CDF 6,920

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CDF 4,622

$0.69 CDF 1,556

197.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 CDF 11.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CDF 34.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CDF 4,448

$1.95 CDF 4,415

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CDF 4,646

$2.55 CDF 5,764

-19.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 CDF 592

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.86 CDF 33.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 CDF 8,982

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CDF 2,298

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 CDF 23.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 CDF 3,729

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

$14.8K CDF 33.3M

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

$17.0K CDF 38.3M

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

$24.82 CDF 56.0K

$14.76 CDF 33.3K

68.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CDF 136.4K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.08 CDF 79.2K

$30.03 CDF 67.8K

16.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 CDF 23.0K

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

$75.2 CDF 169.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,194 CDF 2.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.27 CDF 68.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.87 CDF 103.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 CDF 113.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CDF 268.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.9 CDF 225.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 CDF 1.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 CDF 444.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$998 CDF 2.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$504 CDF 1.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$495 CDF 1.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Bukavu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Goma: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Bukavu

$237 34.8%

Goma

–

Eating Out

Bukavu

$149 21.9%

Goma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bukavu

$110 16.2%

Goma

–

Accommodation & Living

Bukavu

$100 14.7%

Goma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bukavu

$35 * 5.2%

Goma

–

Getting Around

Bukavu

$25 3.7%

Goma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bukavu

$25 * 3.6%

Goma

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Bukavu versus $45 in Goma. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Bukavu vs $107 in Goma – so Goma wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇩 Bukavu

🇨🇩 Goma

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

Same time as Bukavu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

816,811

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CDF = 4.43 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.98 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.43 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bukavu Goma 100 km

From you

Bukavu
Goma

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bukavu vs Goma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bukavu is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,021 per month in Bukavu and $644 in Goma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 122% more in Bukavu, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Bukavu and $45 in Goma. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $681 in Bukavu and $429 in Goma, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.