Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bukavu and Lubumbashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukavu: $681 a month against $1,234 in Lubumbashi, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Bukavu
Learn more

Bukavu Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
Learn more

Lubumbashi Living Index

Jump to prices

Bukavu

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$681

/mo nomad

Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,234

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bukavu and in Lubumbashi

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 Lubumbashi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $681 per month in Bukavu vs $1,234 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Bukavu $681
Lubumbashi $1,234

A couple spends around $1,100 per month in Bukavu vs $2,728 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Bukavu $1,100
Lubumbashi $2,728

A family of three spends $1,520 per month in Bukavu vs $4,222 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Bukavu $1,520
Lubumbashi $4,222

Bukavu is about 45% cheaper than Lubumbashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bukavu and Lubumbashi are more affordable than the global median – Bukavu 50% lower, Lubumbashi 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.38 CDF 16.7K

$10.07 CDF 22.8K

-26.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.08 CDF 34.2K

$98.8 CDF 223.8K

-84.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

$10.17 CDF 23.0K

-51.23%

Cappuccino

$4.08 CDF 9,233

$4.11 CDF 9,298

-0.73%

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

$1.52 CDF 3,452

$1.11 CDF 2,516

36.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 CDF 2,289

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 CDF 4,489

$2.05 CDF 4,643

-3.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CDF 6,841

$2.56 CDF 5,798

17.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 CDF 3,313

$2.01 CDF 4,560

-27.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 CDF 4,393

$1.26 CDF 2,860

53.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 CDF 2,908

$3.07 CDF 6,943

-58.31%

Eggs

$4.26 CDF 9,636

$2.18 CDF 4,925

95.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.34 CDF 12.1K

$15.28 CDF 34.6K

-65.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 CDF 9,941

$7.69 CDF 17.4K

-42.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.92 CDF 13.4K

$15.45 CDF 35.0K

-61.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CDF 9,022

$4.98 CDF 11.3K

-19.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 CDF 2,299

$2.99 CDF 6,760

-65.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 CDF 2,213

$5.09 CDF 11.5K

-80.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 CDF 2,651

$2.98 CDF 6,754

-60.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 CDF 2,883

$2.47 CDF 5,581

-48.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 CDF 4,467

$2.58 CDF 5,847

-23.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 CDF 6,937

$0.98 CDF 2,228

212.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CDF 4,633

$1.23 CDF 2,795

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 CDF 11.6K

$3.97 CDF 8,985

29.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CDF 34.6K

$12.37 CDF 28.0K

23.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CDF 4,460

$1.14 CDF 2,578

72.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CDF 4,658

$2.06 CDF 4,661

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 CDF 593

$0.97 CDF 2,205

-73.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.86 CDF 33.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 CDF 9,005

$4.44 CDF 10.1K

-10.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CDF 2,304

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 CDF 23.1K

$10.17 CDF 23.0K

0.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 CDF 3,739

$1.53 CDF 3,459

7.84%

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

$14.8K CDF 33.4M

$25.4K CDF 57.4M

-41.79%

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

$17.0K CDF 38.4M

$30.3K CDF 68.5M

-43.96%

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

$100 CDF 226.8K

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

$24.82 CDF 56.2K

$20.12 CDF 45.5K

23.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 CDF 134.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.08 CDF 79.4K

$72.7 CDF 164.5K

-51.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 CDF 23.1K

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

$75.2 CDF 170.2K

$135 CDF 305.0K

-44.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,194 CDF 2.7M

$4,520 CDF 10.2M

-73.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.27 CDF 68.5K

$22.06 CDF 49.9K

37.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.87 CDF 103.9K

$22.22 CDF 50.3K

106.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.2 CDF 113.6K

$60.6 CDF 137.3K

-17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CDF 268.7K

$85.5 CDF 193.6K

38.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 CDF 2.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.9 CDF 226.2K

$379 CDF 857.8K

-73.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 CDF 1.1M

$2,528 CDF 5.7M

-80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 CDF 445.5K

$2,040 CDF 4.6M

-90.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$998 CDF 2.3M

$999 CDF 2.3M

-0.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$504 CDF 1.1M

$509 CDF 1.2M

-1.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$495 CDF 1.1M

$1,050 CDF 2.4M

-52.87%

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 Lubumbashi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bukavu

$237 34.8%

Lubumbashi

$328 26.6% 38.7% $92

Eating Out

Bukavu

$149 21.9%

Lubumbashi

$180 * 14.6% 20.9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Bukavu

$110 16.2%

Lubumbashi

$86 6.9% 22.3% $25

Accommodation & Living

Bukavu

$100 14.7%

Lubumbashi

$379 30.7% 279% $279

Sport & Entertainment

Bukavu

$35 * 5.2%

Lubumbashi

$73 * 5.9% 107% $38

Getting Around

Bukavu

$25 3.7%

Lubumbashi

$8.3 * 0.7% 66.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bukavu

$25 * 3.6%

Lubumbashi

$180 14.6% 625% $155

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Lubumbashi are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Bukavu versus $99 in Lubumbashi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $328 – making Bukavu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇩 Bukavu

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

Same time as Bukavu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

816,811

1,139,064

💱 Currency

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CDF = 4.42 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.96 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.42 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bukavu Lubumbashi 1,030 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bukavu
Lubumbashi

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 Lubumbashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lubumbashi is pricier by about 81%, 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 $1,851 in Lubumbashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $681 in Bukavu and $1,234 in Lubumbashi. That’s a gap of about 81%.

Kindergarten costs $75 per month in Bukavu and $135 in Lubumbashi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bukavu, where all-in costs run around $681, than in Lubumbashi at $1,234. In Bukavu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lubumbashi it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

If budget matters most, go with Bukavu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lubumbashi makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.